The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by DhampyrX2
Summary: What if Oscar took a different path when a little girl from Kansas and her strange band of friends had come knocking on his door that fateful day? What if he decided to help her a bit more directly and try to save someone that did not deserve their fate in the process? Witness as a "great" man tries to do good one more time in his life in a re-imagining of sorts.
1. Prologue

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Author: DhampyrX2

Genre: AU

Rating: PG, just to be safe

Summary: Two things occurred to me after seeing the movie. One, the good man Oscar became would not have blamed Theodora for what was done to her and would not have sent a little girl on an impossible quest to kill her. The other was that his lost love Annie was marrying Jonathan Gale, which means she was most likely Dorothy's mother. Now let's put those together and look into the mind of an older Oscar as he asks Dorothy to help him do what he failed to do once before in a bit of a re-imagining of the old tale.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.

* * *

Looking at the girl hurt. The second she walked into his "throne room" it felt like someone had punched Oscar in the gut and stabbed him in the chest all at once. It wasn't until she introduced herself to his projection, though, that he understood why. _Dorothy Gale._ Dear God, the girl had Annie's face with Jonathan Gale's light brown hair on her head. She was even wearing Annie's favorite checker pattern on her farm dress.

_What a difference 20 years makes, eh, old man?_ he thought to himself even as he marveled at the sight of her from his view scope. Although part of him felt even worse as she begged to be sent home to her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Why did she want to get back to Jonathan's brother? Had something happened to her father? Had he met his ultimate fate face down in the soil as Oscar's own had so many years ago? And what of Annie? Was she… gone?

Oscar suddenly felt very old. Older than he had when the family he had made for himself here began to pass away or move on. Knuck and the Master Tinker had both been laid to rest years ago. China Girl was a China Woman now and living on her own in a nice home in Quadling Country. Finley had disappeared after taking it upon himself to try to spy on Theodora's own flying monkeys. And Glinda… well Oscar had never been very good at relationships. If he had, this little slip of a girl would have had hair a shade or two darker and been named Dorothy Diggs instead.

Of course, the question of what to do with her was still there staring him in the face. She had managed to be credited/blamed for her house falling on Evanora, good riddance, and had run more than a little afoul of poor Theodora as a result. Not that he blamed Theodora for being upset. Evanora was literally all she had left in the world in her mind.

Sad as it was to say, his first impulse was to use Dorothy the way Evanora had tried to use him. To somehow convince her to eliminate the thorn that Theodora had been in his side for the last 20 years. But that was no solution. Even if she tried this sweet girl was clearly no killer. Just like Oscar hadn't been one. Besides, sending what had to be Annie's girl off on an impossible quest left a bad taste in his mouth.

No, there had to be another way.

And then, with frightening clarity, Oz realized what he would have to do. It was foolish. It was foolhardy. It was the kind of thing he would have happily run away from before coming to Oz. It was something he and Glinda had argued about for years before she left him.

Oscar was going to have to correct his own mistake for a change. He was going to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West…by saving Theodora and bringing her back. He had begged Glinda for years to find a cure for whatever spell Evanora had cast on her sister. Glinda had insisted it was impossible. That Theodora was wicked through and through now and nothing could change that. That there was no love left in her to save.

But Oscar knew better. The opposite of love wasn't the passionate hate Theodora spewed at all of Oz. The opposite of love was indifference. If Theodora could still hate him, she could still be saved. And it was high time he got off his rear and did a bit of traveling again to prove it.

**I, Oz the Great and Powerful, have come to a decision, Dorothy of Kansas. Please direct your attention to the curtain on your left. Or more specifically, please take note of the man behind the curtain,** the booming voice of his projection announced.


	2. Chapter 1

Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tinman didn't know what to say as the turned in unison to the curtain in question and a somewhat slender gentleman in not quite Ozian clothing stepped out. If Dorothy had to guess, she would say he was somewhere near her Uncle Henry's age with salt a pepper hair. His face was clean shaven and he was wearing a dark green suit that seemed to be styled like the ones gentlemen wore at the turn of the century.

"E-excuse me, sir, but who are you?" Dorothy asked a bit uncertainly.

Oscar gave a wry half smile, the some smile that had once been reserved for his dear Annie, and then for Glinda after her, before he bowed with a flourish as he responded, "My name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, my dear, but you can call me the Wizard of Oz if you like. Almost everyone does anymore." His voice seemed a bit sad as he finished.

"But, I thought, the image…" Dorothy asked in confusion.

"Ah, that's been my public face since I helped drive out the Wicked Witch herself when I first came to the land of Oz. Convinced her that I had shed my mortal form and had become invincible. That made her far less troublesome. Although it did cut down on the number of people willing to visit just for a chat," Oscar commented as he looked this farm girl over with his own eyes. And God, if it wasn't like looking at Annie again at that age. When Oscar Diggs was nothing but another farmboy that lived down the road with more dreams than there were stars in the sky. He was more certain by the minute that the little Dorothy was Annie's daughter.

"You've faced the Wicked Witch of the West before?" the Tinman asked with a bit of awe in his voice.

Oscar looked even sadder for a moment before he replied, "Oh yes. But I mean her sister Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East, whenever I talk about the Wicked Witch. Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West as you know her, is as much a victim as anyone I'm afraid. Unfortunately, she's a victim that most people have forgotten."

"I don't understand, your Ozness. What do you mean?" the Scarecrow asked as she scratched his head.

"That is a very good question, my boy. One with a very long and complicated answer. But suffice it to say, that is was a spell of her sister's and the mistakes of a foolish man that didn't understand her fragile heart, which made poor Theodora the person she is today. Lady Glinda and I have both looked for a long time to try to discover what made her into the frightening creature she has become; to little success, I'm afraid," Oscar replied.

"Do you mean to say she wasn't always wicked?" Dorothy asked with a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"Not at all. Why once, she was the sweetest girl I had ever had the pleasure to meet. She was known once as Theodora the Good, in fact. But people tend to forget the good things long past and remember the hurts, as well as the fact that monsters aren't born. They're made," Oscar replied heavily. He chuckled ruefully as he replied, "Why she wasn't even green when I met her. Whatever Evanora did to her, that change was part of it. And I would bet most of the gold in the Emerald City bank (for he would never risk what was in the treasury) that she didn't show a bit of remorse over it. Evanora made it a habit to use whoever she could to attain her goals and remove those that stood in her way. You really did all of Oz a favor when your house landed on her, child."

"Oh, but I keep telling everyone I didn't mean to hurt her. I had no control over where the house landed. It was the twister," Dorothy insisted with tears in her eyes.

"Ah. A Twister of Fate. Haven't seen one of those in many years. In fact, you could say that it was another Twister of Fate that made me the wizard I am today," Oscar mused with a far off look in his eye.

"Well this is all well and good, Sir, but it's not what truly brought us here. You see, if it's not too much trouble, we were wondering if you could send Dorothy back home to Kansas," the Scarecrow interjected responsibly.

"Kansas eh? I am quite familiar with that location," Oscar responded with a brittle grin.

"You are? Why you're the first person I've met here who is. Does that mean you can send me home Mr. Wizard?" Dorothy implored.

"Oh, yes I am familiar with it. I hail from Kansas myself, you see. I used to travel the whole of the State quite extensively, in fact. Why, I still recall my best friend there growing up, a comely young blond wisp of a girl from the farm down the road by the name of Annie. In fact, just before I was swept up in a twister and brought to Oz she had come to tell me that another young man I had known by the name of Jonathan Gale had proposed to her," Oscar said "distractedly" as he watched Dorothy's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"Those… those were my parents' names. Do you mean to say you are that Oscar Diggs? My Uncle Oscar that momma told me stories about before she became ill?" Dorothy asked with wide eyes.

"And what did your mother tell you, young lady?" he asked.

"That Uncle Oscar may have been a bit of a rake but he had a heart of gold. He was the best magician she had ever seen, too good for the circus he had joined up with, and there wasn't anything mechanical that he couldn't fix and usually improve. But she said he died. That his hot air balloon was caught up in…a…twister." Dorothy trailed off with a whisper.

"That certainly sounds right. Although looking back I wouldn't say I was the _best_ stage magician. Top five certainly, but not the best," Oscar boasted with a sad smile. That smile changed to a look of astonishment when he found himself locked in a hug around the waist that made him think of how China Girl had hugged his leg as Dorothy threw herself at him and started to cry.

"Oh dear. Momma would have been so _happy_ that I found you," Dorothy said as she hugged the man that would have been her godfather had he not been taken away according to Uncle Henry and Auntie Em.

Oscar could hear the sorrow in Dorothy's voice as he whispered, "I take it Annie is-"

Dorothy nodded into his midsection as she replied, "The Spanish Flu breakout when I was five, sir. It took her and Poppa both. But Uncle Henry and Auntie Em raised me as their very own ever since."

"Well you had them at least. I couldn't think of better people to raise my would-be niece," Oscar replied, his voice thick.

"This is wonderful. If you come from the very same land, surely you can help return Dorothy home," the Tinman exclaimed as he tried to fight back tears.

"Oh if only that were so," Oscar sadly replied to the mounting disappointment of the group as the looked at him. "Believe me, if I knew a precise way back to Kansas then this would not have been the first time I had seen Dorothy here. I love Oz and it's become my home after twenty years, but there are still those I would have liked to have seen in the intervening years."

"But surely you can do it. You're the Mighty Wizard of Oz. You can do _anything_," the Scarecrow insisted.

Oscar sighed as he moved to sit on the steps at the base of his throne and replied, "As I told my adopted daughter once after I first came to Oz, I'm afraid I'm not that kind of wizard. My abilities are not quite the same as the old King's."

"But you can figure it out if you try. I know you can. Momma always said there was nothing you couldn't figure out when you put your mind to it," Dorothy insisted.

"Your mother was the best person I ever knew. She had more faith in me than anyone. Or at least anyone that knew the real me," Oscar commented with sadly. He looked up into the trusting eyes of Dorothy, Annie's eyes, and he felt his resistance crumble like it did when he was a young man as he said, "I suppose I can try to work something out. We are family after a fashion, after all."

The look of joyous hope in Dorothy's eyes made him feel much lighter even as it scared him a bit. It was that same kind of blind devotion that Theodora had shown him when he had mentioned that his name was "Oz." Hopefully, he would do better in fulfilling Dorothy's expectations of him than he had with Theodora's.

"But before we do anything, there is a matter that concerns all of Oz that needs to be addressed. One that I have let fester far too long," Oscar said with a grimace.

"What is that sir?" the Scarecrow asked as Dorothy went to sit beside her Uncle, glad for the familiarity of someone she knew, if only in stories.

"Why I have to take care of the Witch of the West, I'm afraid. I can't have her harassing Dorothy like this. Or worse, have her end up following her home somehow. Kansas would have no way to deal with someone like her," Oscar replied.

He got a frightened whimper form the Cowardly Lion at the mention of the Witch as the Tinman asked, "And how will you defeat her? She's quite powerful and very angry."

"I know. Power and passion have always been two of Theodora's strong points. But you misunderstand. The only way to stop the Wicked Witch of the West isn't to defeat Theodora. It's to save her," Oscar replied as he threw his arm around Dorothy's shoulders and gave her a fatherly squeeze before winking at her conspiratorially.

He could tell from the growing look of determination on the girl's face as she thought over his words that he had finally found the ally in this quest that Glinda had refused to be for whatever reason. And the looks of support being shown by the magical menagerie Dorothy had brought with her only increased his confidence. It looked like a team of oddballs would come together to save Oz and help a good witch in trouble. It would be just like old times. Only this time, Oscar was going to do it right. He owed Dorothy, the rest of Oz, and especially Theodora at least that much.


	3. Chapter 2

Dorothy couldn't help but marvel at the room her "Uncle Oscar" had given her to rest for the evening before they set out tomorrow. It was the nicest bedroom she had ever seen, filled with what looked like fine porcelain china and inlaid wood. When she had asked whose room it was Oscar had just smiled nostalgically as he responded, "My adopted daughter's. But she's moved out on her own now and I think she would be thrilled for her newfound cousin to use it."

The thought of a cousin, well one other than her rather rough Cousin Zeb, filled Dorothy with a sense of wonder. She had never had a female cousin before. She wondered what she was like? Would she like Dorothy? Would they get along?

Her musings filled her head as she moved about the room until she spied a picture on the dresser. It was what looked like a younger Oscar posing with a porcelain doll of some kind, but one that was far more detailed and expressive than any Dorothy had ever seen. Not even a wealthy woman like Mz Gulch had such a treasure. And next to them was a blond woman that looked like…

"Momma?" Dorothy asked herself in confusion. It couldn't be her, obviously. She had passed away seven years ago back in Kansas and Uncle Oscar had been in Oz for the last twenty. Still the woman looked strikingly like the hazy memories Dorothy had of her own mother. Well minus the regal gown that made her think of Miss Glinda.

Well Dorothy supposed she could ask who was in the photo in the morning. Uncle Oscar has insisted they all get a start bright and early. He had a friend to save, and she was dadgum' gonna' help him. It was the right thing to do; just like Uncle Henry and Auntie Em had always taught her. And if it meant helping someone she had been told was pretty much family for most of her life as he tried to save an old friend, then so much the better.

* * *

Oscar had personally set up Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion with rooms to rest in for the evening, although the Scarecrow and the Tinman insisted that they did not need beds as they did not, in fact, sleep. Well, he had certainly seen stranger things over the years in Oz. The reports of the pumpkin-headed fellow that the witch Mombi had created came to mind, for example. He idly wondered if the Scarecrow had been an earlier prototype of Mombi's that she had discarded at some point, but dismissed it as unimportant. In a land where Animals and even apple Trees could speak, what was one animated Scarecrow in the grand scheme of things? He had more important things to ponder, like what his plan would be when he confronted Theodora?

His musings were cut short as a familiar voice commented, "You look like you're up to something."

Oscar glanced over his shoulder with a roguish grin as he replied, "Why my dear _Wanda_, whatever would make you say that?"

Glinda snorted as Oscar referred to her as he had all those years in the cemetery. It was clear to her that he was trying to distract her as she folded her arms and responded, "Well, you're breathing, for one."

"Nonsense. The Great and Terrible Oz has no need to breathe. He is living power, immortal and all powerful in his magnificence," Oscar replied with an exaggerated flourish.

"And yet here Oscar Diggs stands living and breathing. And from what my friends in the palace say, setting up the little girl I sent to you in China Girl's room for the night after revealing yourself. Have you **lost** your mind?" Glinda demanded hotly, her eyes narrowed at her former lover.

Oscar did not seem a bit contrite as he replied, "Obviously. I think it comes with the territory of being in charge." He held his hand up to forestall any more protests as he added, "It's alright Glinda. She's… she's Annie's girl."

"What? Annie? You mean your-?" Glinda asked in shock, her eyes suddenly filled with sympathy and a bit of fear. Of all the people in Oz, only Glinda and China Girl had ever heard of the wonderful woman from Kansas named Annie. The woman Oscar had last seen the day he came to Oz. The woman that looked so like Glinda that she seemed to drive wedge between them without meaning to. And, if he was honest with himself, the only woman Oscar Diggs had ever allowed himself to truly love in the romantic sense.

"She wasn't mine Glinda. Apparently she did marry Jon Gale after all and had that wonderful little girl as a result. Did you know she used to tell her daughter about me? That little Dororthy had been raised to think of me as her Uncle Oscar for the whole of her life? So, yes, I showed her the real me. It was the only thing I could do," Oscar explained.

"But she was talking about getting home to her Aunt and Uncle. Why would she be with them unless-" Glinda trained off until realization lit in her eyes as she gasped "Oh goodness."

Oscar nodded sadly as he said, "She said it was an influenza outbreak of some kind seven years ago. A terrible sickness back home that killed a lot of people. She lost them both."

"Oscar, I'm so sorry," Glinda replied with tears in her eyes as she moved to embrace him.

"You're still far too kind. Especially to an old con man like me," Oscar replied as they separated.

"And you are still better than you give yourself credit for," Glinda softly admonished him. Her features grew stern as she added, "But you are still up to something and I want to know what it is."

"Now is that any way to talk to your Wizard?" Oscar playfully replied.

"It is when it's you. You have that look about you. The one where you're about to get into the kind of mischief I won't like. What's going on, Oscar?" Glinda demanded regally.

Oscar debated lying to her, not that she ever fell for anything he tried to put past her, but he thought better of it. After all, if anyone had the right to know what he was doing it was her. Others might tend to forget that Theodora had been just as much Glinda's sister as she was Evanora's. That Theodora had also been the daughter of Oscar's predecessor. But it wasn't something Glinda could ignore. It was one of the things that made her transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West so painful for the Good Witch of the South.

"Well, you know that the child has run more than a bit afoul of Theodora. Up to and including somehow claiming those damnable Silver Shoes of hers," Oscar began.

"I know. That's why I sent her here to you. The Emerald City is the one place in all of Oz that the Wicked Witch won't dare to attack directly. Even my own castle wouldn't be safe," Glinda acknowledged.

"Glinda. Why don't you ever use her name any longer? Why do you act like she isn't even a person?" Oscar asked her without looking into her eyes.

"Oscar, you know why. She's twisted and evil. There is nothing of my little sister left in her," Glinda replied sorrowfully.

"And I still refuse to believe that. How many Ozians has she killed over the years, Glinda? In twenty years how many people has she killed in her claiming of Winkie Country?" Oscar countered.

"Well, none that I know of. But the people of Oz are forbidden to kill. You know that," Glinda replied, somewhat confused.

"Glinda, evil, real evil doesn't follow the rules like that. If Theodora wasn't in there somewhere we would all be ankle deep in the blood of those that opposed her. Just like with Evanora. The more we looked into things the more we learned about just how many lives she had taken directly and indirectly," Oscar replied with a hard edge.

Part of Glinda had to concede that point to her friend and onetime lover, but another larger part of her was too busy being horrified as her hand flew to her mouth and she gasped a strangled, "No. Oscar you can't seriously mean-"

"I have to Glinda. I owe it to her. To that sweet, innocent, girl whose heart I trampled on being the insufferable ass that I am. The girl that dreamed the Wizard would come to Oz to save them all and sweep her off her feet. To the girl that was so touched over a damned trinket I gave her in the hopes of charming her, not because it was special and unique here, but because nobody had ever given her a gift without expecting something in return. Or asked her to dance. Yes, Glinda, I'm going to save her," Oscar insisted.

"Oscar, you don't know what you're trying to do here. We still don't know what Evanora even did to her. Even the simplest of spells is difficult to break without some frame of reference. And she's been mired in her own hate and anger for so many years now. You're asking the impossible," Glinda cautioned.

"The impossible? You mean like leading an army that refused to kill to defeat the woman that had killed the previous king of Oz to usurp his throne, framing you in the process? Like leading a group of tinkers, farmers, and munchkins, along with a single good witch, a flying monkey, and a lost little girl against the greatest evil the land has ever known? Glinda, at this point doing the impossible is my specialty," Oscar shot back with a brilliant smile. It was a smile she had not seen in a long time. The smile of the man she had fallen for all those years ago rather than the downtrodden look of the man that was running the Emerald City from behind a heavy curtain.

"Besides," Oscar added, "You know she won't give up on Dorothy or the Silver Shoes. Not now that Evanora is gone. No, the only way to stop this once and for all is to save Theodora. I have to try."

"You certainly do pick the oddest times to act like a hero rather than rake," Glinda commented with a shrewd look.

"I tend to work best when I have good people around me to keep me on the straight and narrow. I always have," Oscar replied with a shrug.

"I hope you're right about this Oscar. You know that if it comes down to a fight I won't be able to win against her. She is still more powerful that I was in my prime. And if there is one person in all of Oz that Theodora could bring herself to kill it's you. She's tried before," Glinda warned him.

"Ah, but that's why I know there's hope for her. There's an old saying where I come from, Glinda. 'There is a fine line between love and hate.' The fact Theodora can still care enough to hate me means there's hope for her. I just need to find something to reach past that hate and help her," Oscar explained before stopping short at his own words, his face a mask of concentration.

"What is it?" Glinda asked as she noted his expression.

"I just had a thought. I need to head for Theodora's old room. I think I might know just what I need to reach her. I just have to make sure it still works after all this time," Oscar said with a devious smirk. He knew how he would approach this now. He knew how he would get past the Witch to find Theodora. He just had to decide how far he would be willing to take things in the process.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's note**: Okay, I'm taking a few liberties with Theodora's personality here that will become very clear as you read. Just roll with me as I am going somewhere with them and accept that they are my own speculation on what could happen to her mind rather than something from any other Oz movie or book. The name of her Winkie castle I take shamelessly from the Wicked book series to use for my purposes. And with that said… away we go.

* * *

As Oscar worked out his approach to the issue of the Wicked Witch of the West, Theodora was cursing at her crystal ball in the Winkie Castle of Kiamo Ko. She had no idea if the wards that kept her from seeing within Emerald City were the same ones her father had used, ones Glinda had helped with, or if the Wizard was just too powerful for her to scry but she had never been able to successfully look into the capital of Oz since her banishment.

"You would send that wretched little girl to _him_ Glinda. Lurline knows you always go running back to your precious Wizard to do your dirty work when you're not ready to deal with me," she sneered at the swirling clouds in mystical orb. And it was just like the Wizard to keep something from her. He had managed to do it for all the years they had been acquainted, after all.

Anything Theodora had, the Wizard would take away. Her kingdom. Her family. Her home. Her heart.

No. No, that wasn't right. Evanora had destroyed her heart. She remembered that. That moment of clarity before she finished her transformation when she realized that Evanora was the real Wicked Witch that had killed their father. It was Evanora's apple that had destroyed her heart. The Wizard had only broken it. Broken it with his fickle attentions and his empty words. Broken it siding with Glinda against Evanora. Broken it by seducing Evanora before fleeing the Emerald City to do the same to Glinda. It seemed he had a taste for Witches. She was surprised he had never tried to charm old Mombi in the North while he was at it even if she was the only crone uglier than Evanora had been after Glinda had defeated her.

Bah, what did it matter? Things were what they were now. She should have expected that Glinda would be the one to catch his eye. She was the only one of them truly loved by the people of Oz. The only _legitimate_ heir to the throne in the eyes of the people. Deep down, Theodora had always been Wicked just like Evanora had told her and it made the people fear her, even when she had been called Theodora the Good. That's why everyone had kept their distance from her. Why she only had Evanora to turn to. All the Wizard did was force her to accept that it was true.

Either way, what was important now was the Silver Shoes. The last remnant of power Evanora had possessed. There were days when Theodora would swear she had enchanted them herself to give her dear sister back some of what Glinda had stolen from her, but even she couldn't be certain. Things tended to run together in hear head half the time and sometimes she forgot just why she was the way that she was. There were some days when she woke up and was shocked to see a green woman with a hooked nose and pointed chin in the mirror, just as there were days she could remember every slight and betrayal of the Wizard's with perfect clarity. How his laugh rang in her head as she was hunched over in pain during her birth as the Wicked Witch of the West. Only he hadn't been there, had he? No, he was charming the traitorous Quadlings and Munchkins that had rallied under Glinda's banner; but she still remembered the laughter. It was all so confusing. Evanora used to warn her not to think too much about it and Evanora had always been right. Hadn't she?

Theodora shook her head with a growl to clear it as she remembered that Evanora was dead now. She would have to do things herself. But first she needed her sister's Silver Shoes. That much she was certain of. She would just have to bide her time until the farm girl had left the safety of the Emerald City. Then she could claim them. She broke into a mad cackle at the thought, making most of the castle's inhabitants cringe and shiver at the sound.

All except one. One lone Winged Monkey that looked on with sad eyes as he remembered the sweet girl in the wide brimmed red hat and matching coat that had insisted that she and her companion save him while he had been trapped in vines waiting to end up a lion's snack. Finley kept his silence, just as he had for the last fifteen years after he fell under the spell of the Golden Helmet that Theodora had used to obtain her own army of flying monkeys to help her rival the might of her sister's former army of bat-winged baboons. Once he was under its spell he was compelled stay with her and to obey her orders three times, just as his brethren were. Not even his life debt to Oscar was enough to fight the compulsion of the Helmet. But that didn't make it any harder to see that sweet woman become more and more twisted by Evanora's evil.

Finley had been like most of the others and assumed Theodora had just been hiding her wickedness as her sister had when he had first come to Kiamo Ko to spy on her. Now, he just had a better understanding of how rotten Evanora had been. How she made it a habit to brow beat and manipulate her much more powerful younger sister into doing her bidding. He would bet a banana for every gold coin in Oz's treasure room that it had been just as bad or worse before Theodora's transformation. The way the younger Witch had almost blindly followed her elder sister had been awful to watch. As far as Finley was concerned, the best news he had heard in years was when the others had started whispering of Evanora's death.

Part of him even hoped that with her demise that whatever she had done to Theodora would fade. Sadly, that did not seem to be the case. If anything, Theodora looked more lost and angry now than before as she fixated on her sister's shoes of all things. And really, could there be anything more irrelevant for a woman to fixate on than a pair of shoes? It made no sense to him at all.

Finley sighed as he watched Theodora finish her cackle before storming off to work on something from her spell book with a look of rage on her face. He knew he shouldn't, but he worried for her. He just didn't see how this mess could end well for her and part of him, like Oscar, still hoped against hope that it would. After all, she was nice to him. Even now, Wicked as she was, she had never so much as raised a hand to him or his fellow flying monkeys. That had to say something about the woman underneath the Witch that she could have absolute power over them all and still stay her hand. It was certainly better they could be said of how Evanora had treated the Munchkins.

For now, though, all he could do was watch and worry. And maybe wonder if Oscar might have one or two tricks up his sleeve to change things for the better someday?

* * *

Oscar woke with the sunrise, a habit of his youth being raised the son of a farmer that had served him well in his life in the circus and as the ruler of Emerald City. He was greeted in the hall by Dorothy, raised to rise early from similar farming stock, and escorted her to his dining room for breakfast alongside the Tin Man and the Scarecrow who had wandered the halls and took turns guarding their young charge through the night. Of the group, only the Cowardly Lion continued to slumber as the sun began to filter into the private chambers of the Royal Palace.

As the quartet sat at the table, with Dorothy and Oscar being the only ones to actually eat, they began to strategize how best to seal with the issue of the Wicked Witch.

"I'm not sure if I understand how you're going to get through to Miss Theodora, sir. I mean if she's cursed as you say wouldn't we need to know what the curse was to break it?" the Scarecrow asked with a look of consternation.

"That is the same argument Glinda has used to try to sway me against this very course of action, Scarecrow. All I can say is that I believe I can get through to her. And as long as you believe, anything is possible," Oscar replied with earnestly. "I also hope that I might have an easier time of getting through to her with Evanora gone. Besides, this old wizard still has a few tricks up his sleeve," he added theatrically as he pulled a trick bouquet of silk flowers from his sleeve that had handed to a happily clapping Dorothy.

Oscar smiled indulgently at the girl, glad to see his knack for prestidigitation could still amuse and amaze before his expression grew somber. "Honestly, the biggest problem will be managing to confront her at all. Loathe as she would be to ever admit it, Theodora seems to be terrified of me. My ability to thwart her and her sister's attempts to expand their kingdoms over the years has made her develop a habit of flying away on that broom of hers if she has even a notion that I might be in the area. For all that she claims to despise me she won't even risk being in the same general area as me for any length of time. Getting the chance to actually speak to her will the biggest hurdle," he explained with a grimace.

"Then what can we do, Uncle Oscar?" Dorothy asked with a look of concern on her face.

"I'm not quite sure, Dorothy. We either need to flush her out or distract her somehow so I can make my way through the Dark Forest to Kiamo Ko and confront her without her knowing I'm coming. She might be slightly less likely to run from her own stronghold if I surprise her there. Deep down Theodora has always been very insecure and she might not be willing to abandon the safety of her Winkie troops in their own territory the way she has in other parts of the Land of Oz," Oscar postulated.

"But what can we use to draw her out then?" the Tin Man asked earnestly.

"I wish I knew. It seems lately that she's become obsessed with those Silver Shoes she gave Evanora to help her regain some of her power. But why she would think a trinket that she had enchanted herself, something Glinda confirmed after inspecting them in Munchkinland after Dorothy's arrival, I will never understand. If anything, they might act as a drain on her own powers since they were designed to siphon off some magic for Evanora to utilize like a battery. It's probably the least sensible thing she's attempted since this all started," Oscar explained.

"Do you think she might come here to take them, Uncle Oscar?" Dorothy asked after a pause.

"Not a chance. She might be a bit impulsive but Theodora has never been foolish. The wards on the Emerald City make it impossible for her to know what is going on here through magical means and she is almost universally reviled by the local populous, so she has no way to have someone spy on anything for her in the mundane way. A Winkie or a Flying Monkey would be spotted before they cleared the forest's edge. And she's not about to come in here blind," Oscar assured her.

"Then… what if I left the city? Might she come for the Silver Shoes then?" Dorothy suggested.

Oscar's visage grew stern as he replied, "Not a chance. That is way too dangerous of a risk to take. Even if I don't think Theodora would try to do permanent harm to you, and I can't say that for certain given the state she's in under Evanora's curse, it would be far too risky. Annie would never forgive me if something happened to you. Never mind what your Aunt and Uncle might do to send me to meet her if they ever found out about it."

"But this might be the only way to help her. You said yourself that she's still a good person deep down. We can't let her be tortured by whatever the Wicked Witch of the East did just because we're afraid to try. That's just not right," Dorothy insisted.

Oscar smiled to himself as he saw the look of determination in Dorothy's eye. It reminded him of the day he had first met China Girl after she had used her tears to get his permission to accompany him to fight the Wicked Witch. _Alright, then let's go kill ourselves a Witch, _his adopted daughter said in his mind. He had no doubt she and Dorothy would get along famously. Most likely at the cost of what hair he still had that hadn't been turned white by the stress of being the ruler of Oz.

"You do realize that if you do this there's a good chance some or all of us might not make it back, don't you?" Oscar asked the child ruefully. He just knew Glinda was going to give him an earful over this plan later. Especially since she would most likely shadow him through the whole thing with her own crystal ball.

"It's the right thing to do," Dorothy insisted.

"Well, at the very least, we have to make certain you and your friends are well armed and ready to protect yourselves. In many ways this will be like a huge sleight of hand. We need her to pay attention to one thing while we do another. But I want to stress that at the first sign of trouble you all must head right back here. Once she's made a play for the Shoes and you make it back she'll watch the gates of the Emerald City for another chance and the make certain I'm not coming for her. Of course, since I'll already be out of the City, she won't be looking for me in the right place. That will give us our chance at a confrontation," Oscar plotted.

And somewhere, in the back of his mind, Oscar could swear what he could feel old Sourpuss' cane striking the back of his head at the recklessness of the endeavor they were plotting. Or maybe not. In life Knuck was one of the only ones to remember the Theodora of old. He had seen her raised from infancy, after all. Perhaps the elderly munchkin Herald would have approved of this gambit to save the youngest daughter of the last King from herself? Either way, Oscar hoped this little performance he was planning went off without a hitch. It was the first time in years he was breaking the cardinal rules of showbiz again by working with kids and animals.

Oh, what the heck, it had all worked out the last time, right? Well not really since Glinda was not at all hurt by their "attack" when he had been deceived into thinking SHE was the Wicked one, but it had all worked out in the end. And really that was what mattered. Right?


	5. Chapter 4

Oscar would not admit it aloud, but he felt a bit more trepidation at the quest he was preparing for than he was showing to Dorothy and her friends. Or to Glinda, for that matter, who would remain in her palace in Quadling Country to keep watch over them with her crystal ball. Grimly he looked at one of the last devices he has commissioned from the Master Tinker before he had passed on. One he had hoped fervently that he would not need. Namely a credible replica of a derringer pistol. It had taken several lengthy conversations on the general workings of the firearm, and as a result there had been two other prototypes in the Land of Oz before Oscar had them destroyed.

It wasn't a weapon meant for this land, for a place where even their "greatest villain" refused to kill, but Oscar still had it. Just the thought of needing it made him ill. Even before he came to Oz, he preferred to use his wits to get out of a scrape. But against Theodora, well sometimes a last ditch effort might be your best chance. He just prayed he would not actually need it, because he didn't think he could live with himself if he had to use it. And if he was being honest with himself, if it came down between the two of them he knew which one deserved punishment, and it certainly wasn't Theodora.

Like everything else, the weapon vanished with a practiced ease of his sleight of hand. Now he just had to head through the hidden passageways. It was decided that he would wait a few minutes after Dorothy was had left through the main gates before making his own exit through a passageway that opened to the north. It was the area of the city least likely to attract Theodora's attention as the control over the territory to the North, Gilliken, was currently contested by the Good Witch of the North, Locasta, and the Wicked Witch Mombi. The relatively minor struggle, along with some suspected "back alley" dealings that Evanora had once had with Mombi, had kept both Wicked Witches from paying too much attention to the North over the years. It made it the perfect exit for Oscar to take before using the horse he had arranged for himself to head west and get ahead of Dorothy's group. With any luck, he would be at Kiamo Ko before Theodora had even exited her Castle.

But, then again, luck was a fickle mistress and Oscar had a nasty habit of making powerful ladies turn on him. Especially lady luck.

* * *

Dorothy wondered what the Wick-no, what _Miss Theodora_ would think at the sight of them as she exited the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. The Tin Man was carrying his axe, the Scarecrow a can of bug spray, and the Lion a net. Dorothy, as always, had the basket on her arm that she had collected from Mz Gulch when she had rescued Toto from richest woman in town. Although all she had in the basket now was her lunch, a few fireworks that Uncle Oscar had insisted would frighten Miss Theodora off if she became too unruly, and the picture from her room that she had meant to ask her Uncle about.

To anyone that cared to look as they made their way west toward the Dark Forest it looked like they were seeking out a confrontation with the powerful Witch. Dorothy hoped she wouldn't be too upset over it all.

* * *

Glinda fought to keep her face neutral as she watched Dorothy exit the city from her crystal ball. In many ways the girl's arrival seemed like both a blessing and a curse to the Good Witch of the South. She had inadvertently removed the danger Evanora presented, yet had also deeply upset the much more powerful Theodora in the process. She had lit a fire back in Oscar that Glinda had sorely missed in the last few years, yet also reignited his conviction to reach out to Theodora which was terribly dangerous for them all.

Discovering the girl's connection to Oscar's past was a double edged sword too. As much as they had loved one another Glinda knew she could never compete with his memory of Dorothy's mother. And the fact that by all accounts she and Annie could have been twins did not help her in trying to get Oscar to move on. Her resemblance to the woman from Kansas had been what had made Oscar so eager to help her without a shred of proof that she wasn't the Wicked one until Evanora had sent her minions to attack them, after all.

And now, Dorothy was a tangible link to the life Oscar had left behind. One that had a way back to the Realm of Kansas with the power still trapped in Evanora's Silver Shoes. There was an icy ball in the pit of Glinda's stomach at the thought that the girl might bring her "Uncle Oscar" home with her. And not just because the people of Oz would mourn his departure. No, Glinda would miss him terribly. They might not have made the best of lovers but they would always remain the best of friends. The thought of an Oz without Oscar Diggs in it was a sadder place and darker place than she wanted to consider.

For now all she could do was focus on the present and on Oscar's insane little plan to try to rescue Theodora. Glinda knew all too well that it would be an uphill battle. Theodora saw herself as a woman scorned on top of whatever magical and mundane manipulations Evanora had heaped upon her over the years. Looking back, leaving her sweet and naive little sister behind after her banishment from the Emerald City after the death of their father had been the worst idea she ever had. Glinda had hoped that the fact that Theodora chose to remain neutral in the struggle between herself and Evanora would be protection enough. That whatever good was in Evanora would prompt her to watch out for and protect her her younger sister as she always had. Glinda had apparently sorely underestimated the other sorceress' willingness and ability to use people and Theodora had paid the price.

"Oh Sister, why didn't you ever come back to us? You could still stand with the Wizard. What you hoped and waited for. Why would you believe Evanora's painful lies instead?" Glinda lamented, as she watched carefully over Dorothy.

* * *

Glinda was not the only one watching the gates of the Emerald City from a crystal ball that day as Theodora made a habit of checking hers every hour or so. When she finally saw that wretched girl stepping out with that could only be a hunting party she couldn't help but cackle to herself. _The Wizard must be getting desperate if he's sending that wretched girl off to face the likes of me. Well either that or this was his way of disposing of her. He was always good and throwing innocent girls away when they were of no use to him, _Theodora thought to herself with a scowl.

"Nikko, Chistery, Truckle I have need for you. Once that fool girl steps into the Dark Forest I want you to capture her and bring her to me. Do with her little friends what you like," Theodora called out to her winged monkeys. Nobody in Oz seemed to realize that while she used the power of the Golden Cap to command the Winged Monkeys as a whole and keep them at her side, they often followed her commands of their own free will. In fact, thus far, she had only used the power of the cap to force them to obey her once when she had consolidated her power in Winkie Country. Granted, the nature of the Cap meant that they had not left her side since then, but the fact the winged monkeys respected her without it still remained. There was even a kind of hierarchy among them. Nikko tended to lead the "troops" in the air, Chistery relayed her commands, and Treackle acted as Theodora's personal adviser.

Besides, having them at her side there reminded her a bit of better times. Like that sweet little winged monkey that had been trapped in the vines all those years ago. The one the Wizard ruthlessly tricked out of a life debt.

Her musings was cut short as Chistery made a chattering sound before grunting "No."

"No? What do you mean NO!?" Theodora screeched in anger.

"Human-girl not bad. Human-girl not hurt. Not danger to home. She not hurt, we not hurt," Chistery explained in his usual broken speech as Nikko nodded in agreement.

"She's not a threat to us, Mistress," Treackle added in a much clearer and less guttural voice.

"Not a threat? She _murdered my __**sister!**_" Theodora insisted with a snarl.

"Bad Witch hurt. Hurt you. Human-girl help," Chistery insisted.

Theodora looked shocked and confused for a moment before he face darkened into a scowl. "How dare you say that to me. My sister was the only one to stay at my side. The only one to never betray me. And now you accuse her of _hurting_ me? You insufferable little ingrates," she screeched.

"Bad witch made feel bad. Make angry when not need to. Say you bad. You not bad," Chistery shot back.

From his perch in the corner of the room Finley could only watch with something akin to awe. This was the first time he had ever seen any of the other Winged Monkeys challenge Theodora. Much less her personal "favorites" among the group. What exactly was going on here?

"The only 'bad' witch that made me hurt was _Glinda._ She was the one that betrayed me. She was the one to turn the Wizard's head with her perfect blond hair and her winsome little face. Evanora stood beside me through everything and I will not have you or anyone else insult her memory. Now get out of my sight, and don't come back until I call you to collect the girl. And so help me, if you defy me in this again I will used that blasted Golden Cap and MAKE you obey me," Theodora snarled at the trio.

Once they were gone Theodora flew into a rage, tossing various spell casting components off her table and across the room. She even went so far as to throw several fireballs into the hearth, a habit she got into after accidedntally burning a forward base in Winkie Country to the ground when she had been angered years ago.

Her tantrum lasted several minutes leaving her exhausted and heaving on the ground, the pointed hat she wore to hide her wild and writhing black hair tossed to the side in her rage. In that moment, weak and vulnerable in her exhaustion, she looked more like the Theodora that Finley remembered than she had in years as odd as that was to think about. In fact it was enough to make the Winged Monkey hop down from his perch and tentatively approach her.

"What do you want? I thought I told all of you to leave," Theodora panted with narrowed eyes.

"They're not wrong, you know. You are good to us. I think deep down you're a very nice person," Finley said. The first words he had spoken to Theodora since the Golden Cap pressed him into her service.

"No I'm not. I'm Wicked through and through. Evanora always reminded me of that," Theodora replied softly.

"I know a lot of Winged Monkeys and more than a few Winkies that would disagree. You've done wicked things at times, but you're not really Wicked. I can tell. And maybe someday, you'll be able to as well," Finley calmly replied before giving the Wicked Witch of the West a weak grin and helping her to sit up from where she had collapsed prone on the floor.

With his piece said, Finley flapped his wings and made his way over the window sill. He looked back over his shoulder and gave Theodora an encouraging grin before moving to jump out the window and take flight.

"Wait!" Theodora pleaded, her voice hoarse and just a bit desperate. "Wh- who are you?" she asked in a confused whisper.

"A friend," Finley replied with a smile before jumping out the window and flying off. He had a lot to think about today and he knew Theodora did to. What would come of those thoughts remained to be seen.

**Authors Note**: I took the other Winged Monkey names from the 1939 film (Nikko), the 90's cartoon (Treackle), and the Wicked novels (Chistery). Those familiar with each will notice some similar personality traits to their namesakes. The Golden Cap is right out of the original Baum novels (although it was part of a deleted scene from the 1939 movie or so I am told). I hope that clears up any questions about either. And yes, there are other little nods to other Oz versions in the various chapters. Feel free to look for them and point them out if you have the time.


	6. Chapter 5

The first part of Oscar's plan went off without a hitch. Theodora kept careful watch on Dorothy as she made her way toward the Dark Forest, never once thinking that the girl's approach might be a diversion. Rather, she assumed that the Wizard was using the girl the way Evanaora had intended to use him long ago. Not being born in Oz, and surrounded by a Lion and a few magical constructs rather than actual people that would be more likely to enforce the taboo, the girl was free to try to kill Theodora outright.

"So, you've finally reached that point, eh Wizard? I suppose it makes sense. Without a body you couldn't do it yourself and no decent Ozian would agree even if you asked personally. But it won't be that easy," Theodora sneered at the image. "Once that farm girl steps into my domain I'll have her and the Silver Shoes, and there's nothing you will be able to do to stop me."

* * *

As Dorothy made her way carefully toward the Dark Forest, wholly unaware that Theodora has every intention of letting her get that far before even trying to attack, Oscar moved at near-breakneck speeds through the southern part of Gilliken before turning toward the west to approach Kiamo Ko from the northern flank. He made good time, certain that even with the head start he had given Dorothy to distract Thedora that he would enter Winkie Country at nearly the same time Dorothy would have neared the border despite traveling four times as far with the route he was taking.

Unfortunately, he was reminded that no plan truly goes off without a hitch. In this case, though, it was not a clever plan by Theodora or an attack of any kind that got in Oscar's way. Rather, it was the rocky and occasionally unstable terrain of Winkie Country itself and the nature of the cliffs where Kiamo Ko had been built that had been his undoing.

Oscar barely had time to look up in worry as the first stones tumbled down the mountainside in front of his steed on the small, forgotten, scouting path he had taken to further avoid possible detection. Suddenly a rumble filled the air as Oz looked on and muttered, "That can't be good." Those were his last words before several sizable boulders shook themselves loose and began tumbling down the mountainside toward the Wizard at high speeds.

* * *

As Oz began to see his very life flashing before his eyes, Dorothy and her compatriots had finally entered the border of the Dark Forest.

"I don't like this, Dorothy," said the Tin Man. "The Witch should have shown herself by now. Something must have gone wrong."

"Maybe we should head back, huh, fellas?" the Cowardly Lion added a cringe.

"Now hold on. We need to have faith in the Wizard. We all worked very hard on this plan and I don't think it's a good idea to just give up like this," The Scarecrow interjected.

Dorothy looked lost in thought for a moment before steeling herself as she replied, "The Scarecrow is right. We need to keep going. Besides, if something went wrong he might need us to head to her Castle ourselves. We need to keep moving. Facing the Witch is our only chance to end all of this."

* * *

Dorothy was wholly unaware that her conversation was being watched by Theodora herself as the green woman scowled at the young girl. She didn't know what it was about this child but something about her and her _pretty_ little face set Theodora's teeth on edge. Whatever it was though, it probably didn't help that the girl's innocent attitude reminded her of a certain young witch in red and white. Someone else the Wizard had used for his own purposes. Well Theodora would show that little brat exactly what happened to anyone that trusted the Wizard.

"I think you've gone far enough, girl. Let me help you the rest of the way here," Theodora sneered as she dragged her blackened claw-like nails over the surface of her crystal ball. She looked up with narrowed eyes as she called out, "Nikko, Chistery, Treackle! Gather the others. It's time!"

It took a few moments for Theodora to realize the Winged Monkeys intended to refuse her summons to capture Dorothy.

"Traitors. How dare you ignore me like that? I'll make you all pay for this after I have those Shoes," Theodora muttered angrily as she made her way to the Golden Cap. Part of her felt an odd moment of hesitation as she lifted the artifact in her right hand and removed her pointed hat with her left. She had only used it once when she first solidified her control over Winkie Country. There had been a faction among the Winkie people, not the Emerald City guards that chose to follow her over her sister after witnessing her power, but among the tribes themselves, that thought she was not strong enough to command them. And with Evanora's power broken they felt that it was in their interest to serve no one. Theodora had used the Golden Cap to gather a small battalion of Winged Monkeys, among them her three "generals," to help her quell the rebellion without having to lay waste to half the nation to prove her point. She later learned that the magic of the Cap made it so that any other Winged Monkey in her presence would fall into her service regardless of what they had been doing previously.

That made for an ever growing and powerful secondary army, one that eventually eclipsed her sister's former army of winged baboons, if only because her own air troops were far more intelligent and capable of actual speech. It was a comfort for her, a buffer from the Wizard's supporters as she planned her revenge.

But now, for the first time in years, that support was trying to abandon her. To defy her. She would not stand for it. She was the Wicked Witch of the West and she would be obeyed in her own home.

With that thought in mind Theodora donned the Cap before replacing her hat over it. "Winged Moneys, come to me. I call for your services a second time," she ordered a second time, this time her voice reverberating with power as every Winged Monkey nearby came silently to roost in the tower Theodora had claimed as her private workspace and chambers. She glared for a moment at the assembled minions upset that she had to resort to something like this as she commanded, "Bring the girl and her dog to me alive and unharmed. I need them in one piece to get those Shoes from her. Do with the magical constructs what you will. Now fly! Fly my pretties! FLY!"

Theodora broke off into a mad cackle as she watched the beasts take off toward the edge of the Dark Forest. It was only a matter of time now.

* * *

Dorothy and her friends paused on their trek as the Dark Forest went unnaturally still. The Cowardly Lion, as the one most attuned to how a forest _should _sound looked around in concern and asked "Do the rest of you hear that?"

"I don't hear anything," the Tin Man commented.

"Exactly. That's not right…" the Lion replied ominously.

Suddenly, the forest seemed to explode into chaos as the air filled with animalistic shrieks and grunts, accompanies by the sound of huge feathered wings beating through the air. Without any time to prepare at all the party were besieged by Theodora's Winged Monkeys and try as they might, they were severely outmatched.

"Hey now, see here. Get away from us. Shoo. Shoo," the Scarecrow insisted as he pumped his spray can to try to drive off the beasts. Granted the bug spray in it was intended for the larger and more dangerous insects in Oz but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Dorothy, run. You need to head back to the Emerald City. We'll hold them off," the Tin Man shouted as he swung his axe back and forth in an attempt to drive the creatures off.

"But I can't leave you here," Dorothy insisted with a frightened tremble in her voice as she reached in her basket for a roman candle in an attempt to scare the Witch's minions away. Sadly, she never reached it as she found each of her arms caught in the hands of Chistery and Treackle, respectively. She let out a shriek of shock as she struggled to get free to no avail.

That shock turned to horror as she watched a pair of Winged Monkeys ruthlessly tear the Scarecrow apart after he managed to brain one in the back of the head with his spray can.

"Stop it, please. You're hurting him. Scarecrow," Dorothy sobbed as she helplessly watched the assault. Her pained cries gave way to one of fright as she felt herself being lifted off the ground as the Winged Monkey began the return trip to Kiamo Ko. "Run Toto. Run and find help," she called somewhat hysterically before she was too high in the air to see any of the others clearly.

As for Toto, the little dog found himself in the careful grasp of Finley as the Wizard's dear friend carried out the orders forced onto him by the Cap. "Sorry about this, little guy," Finley said with a wince as he took to the air to join his compatriots. "I promise I won't hurt you, though."

* * *

Oscar bit back a curse as he looked over the carnage in the aftermath of the rockslide. He supposed he should feel grateful to be alive. His horse certainly wasn't as lucky. The old stage magician had to wince at the sight of the boulder that had crushed the beast's skull. It had been literally the difference of a few inches and a lucky throw from his saddle that kept him from a similar fate. This accident was the last thing he needed. It would take him hours if not a full day now to reach Kiamo Ko. Far too much time for Theodora to do whatever she liked should she get hold of Dorothy and the others.

And as much as Oscar wanted to think the best of her, as much as he knew anything she did was not her truly her fault, he also knew that she was volatile. That Evanora's spell had left her addled and dangerous. She might not kill any more than any other Ozian, but she had few if any qualms about hurting those she felt had wronged her. And for whatever reason she seemed particularly obsessed with the "wrongs" Dorothy had committed in regards to Evanora's death and Dorothy's claiming of the Silver Shoes.

It was times like these that he wished he hadn't been forced to leave Glinda behind for sake of watching over the rest of Oz. Her ability to fly would have been invaluable right now even if Theodora would have seen him coming from a mile off.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a sound off in the distance that reminded him of sounds he had not heard in a long time. In fact the last time he heard anything like it was when Frank had somehow talked him into joining him to visit the municipal zoo in Wichita and they had visited the… monkey… house.

"No," Oscar gasped as he scrambled to a high point on the trail and took note of an oddly moving cloud off in the distance. With a worried expression he dug into his coat and took out a small pair of binoculars to get a better view and immediately wished he hadn't as he saw a swarm of Winged Monkeys carrying a struggling Dorothy toward the Castle without any sign of her compatriots. This was not good. This was not good at all.

"I hope you're keeping close watch, Glinda. Because this whole mess just got a lot more complicated," Oscar commented grimly.

He didn't say another word as he replaced his binoculars and began to move at the best possible speed toward Kiamo Ko. He had messed up again. He had let Dorothy be part of this when it was his mess and his alone and now she could very well pay the price for his hubris. He had to get to her. He had to save her. He had to save them all.

**Author's Note**: What? You didn't think it would be that easy did you?


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: Okay, usual disclaimer stuff applies since I haven't put one up in a while. I don't own any of these characters or the Land of Oz. Please don't sue me. I'm making no money from this and I don't have anything worth taking. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.

* * *

Theodora watched with a kind of sick glee as the weeping child was brought before her in her tower along with her little dog, Toto. Although part of her wanted to scowl at the sight of her tears. Tears had always been a luxury Theodora was denied. The fiery nature of her own magic made her horribly allergic to pure water, causing even her own tears to burn skin her like the strongest acid. It had been fortunate that King Pastoria, her father, had recognized the condition for what it was when she had been born or she could have been killed during a simple bath.

It was not an unheard of condition for Witches and Wizards to develop strange allergies and affinities that would have no impact on the average person. Her father, in the rare times she saw him, had told young Theodora that it was just a mark of how special and powerful she was. Others… had not agreed. The courtiers in the Emerald City (and oh how she had come to appreciate the "accidents" that befell them, that Evanora had once attributed to Glinda during her exile, since she had tasted that apple) had whispered that anyone painfully afflicted by something as pure and good as water had to be Wicked. That she had to secretly eat and drink the vilest things to keep herself alive. Which wasn't even true. As long as she was careful with using a straw to keep it from touching her skin, Theodora could drink water, or tea, or anything else. Not that those sycophants cared enough about her to know that.

Even Evanora had agreed that she was Wicked inside and she had been right. It just took the Wizard's betrayal to help Theodora finally see it herself.

Theodora's attention was taken from the frightened little farmgirl to her dog as the little beast barked and snarled at her. Like most wild animals, Toto could smell the unnaturalness of Evanora's spell on her as well as the angry emotions that radiated off the green woman most of the time, and it left the little terrier on edge. Of course Theodora just assumed the beast hated her because she was Wicked and it should. That was what her sister told her the first time she had inadvertently spooked a herd of horses of a different color (who had previously been very docile and welcoming to the youngest child of Pastoria) a few days after their initial flight from the Emerald City.

"What a nice little dog. And you, my dear, what an unexpected pleasure. It's so kind of you to want to visit me in my loneliness," Theodora commented with a leer as she curled her hand to point at Toto.

For her part Dorothy had to bite back her fear at the sight of the Witch. She reminded herself that this creature was not truly evil, but was someone that was suffering under a terrible curse. That somewhere beneath the green and black monster in front of her was Uncle Oscar's friend Theodora the Good. "I-it's a puh-pleasure to m-meet you," Dorothy stuttered out with a ladylike curtsey.

"Hmm, looks like someone has a few more manners than she did the last time I saw her. My my. Have you been taking lessons from _dear_ Glinda in the Emerald City?" Theodora commented as she began to circle Dorothy as she looked the girl up and down. If not for her recent acquaintance with the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy would insist the act reminded her of how a lion would stalk its dinner.

"N-no. Miss Glinda was never in the Emerald City that I saw. But my Auntie Em always told me it's proper to be polite when in some else's home," Dorothy explained.

"Hmm, wise words, girl. Wise words indeed. Although you weren't so polite when you used _your_ home to **murder** my sister," Theodora hissed from behind the frightened Dorothy.

"But I didn't. I didn't have any control over the twister. It was an awful accident," Dorothy insisted.

"An accident? You expect me to believe that farm houses just fall from the sky out of the blue?" Theodora sneered with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know. The Wizard called it a Twister of Fate. Like the one that brought him here," Dorothy explained.

The mention of the Wizard made Theodora's blood boil even as she paused to consider the girl's words. Was she truly innocent in all this? Had it been a freak random accident? Or had Glinda and the Wizard conspired to crush Evanora to death and this little girl merely got caught up in the aftermath? She growled as she willed the odd thoughts away before she spat, "That didn't seem to stop you from stealing the shoes from her body right in front of me. And with Glinda's help, no less."

"I swear, Miss Theodora, I don't know why-" Dorothy began only to be cut off as the Witch grabbed her shoulder painfully and spun her around to face her.

"What did you just call me?" she hissed in a deadly whisper.

"Miss Theodora?" Dorothy offered back tentatively as Toto barked as loud as he could at the Witch to try to scare her away from his master.

"And where did you hear that name, my pretty?" Theodora inquired darkly.

"F-from the Wizard. He… he told me about how you were once called Theodora the Good, but everyone in Oz forgot that you were good once because of what your sister did to you. That they tend to forget the good of the past and focus on the hurts instead," Dorothy replied.

"And did the Great and Powerful Wizard tell you that it was _his_ fault that I became the witch I am today? That he betrayed me and turned me into this?" Theodora asked with a deadly glower.

"No. He said that the Wicked Witch of the East did something to you but he didn't know what. And that it was what she did and a foolish man's mistakes that did this to you," Dorothy replied hesitantly.

Theodora chuckled humorlessly as she responded, "Typical. How very like him to fail to take responsibility for his own actions. A foolish man indeed. It's good to see he hasn't changed at all."

"He said he wanted to help you," Dorothy insisted with tears in her eyes.

"Help me? Is that what he said? And is that why he sent you and your little friends here to kill me? To do what nobody born in the Land of Oz could do? What his own lack of a body prevents him from doing?" Theodora ranted, her voice growing louder with her mounting rage.

"I'm not here to kill you. I would never kill someone on purpose! I just want to go home to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry," Dorothy insisted as her own sense of right and wrong overcame her fear for a moment.

"Wouldn't you? You are so very nice and good. I knew someone else nice and good that trusted your wonderful Wizard, girl, and it didn't end well for _her_ either," Theodora warned as she dragged a talon-like nail across Dorothy's chin. "But, in the end, I suppose it doesn't matter what the Wizard intended for you to do, now does it? All that matters is what happens here and now. And what will happen is that you will give me those Silver Shoes. Or I might just keep my word from when we met in Munchkinland and make an _accident _of my own happen," she added with a cruel smile directed not toward Dorothy but toward Toto.

"What do you intend to do?" Dorothy asked in fright.

"That is a good question, my pretty. Perhaps I'll have my Winged Monkeys drown the little beast in the river? Or maybe I'll roast him with a little fire?" Theodora pondered aloud as she conjured a fireball no bigger than you would see from a lighter at the tip of her index finger before flicking it at Toto, causing the terrier to yelp as he ran to try to hide in Dorothy's basket, knocking it off the table where the Winged Monkeys had set it when they had arrived.

"No. No, please don't hurt Toto. Please Miss Theodora. He hasn't hurt anyone," Dorothy pleaded.

But Theodora wasn't listening to her any longer. She wasn't even paying attention to the girl. Instead her attention fell on what Toto had inadvertently knocked out of the basket, namely the photo of Uncle Oscar with the woman that looked like Dorothy's mother and the odd doll that Theodora, unlike Dorothy, recognized as the survivor of Evanora's assault on China Town that had been seen as part of the Wizard's court. From what Theodora understood, the China Girl had even broken with the traditions of her people and taken a name for herself. Anna, if she recalled correctly.

Theodora felt a stab in her chest where her heart used to be at she picked up the photo and looked at it. "What is this? Where did you get it?" she demanded as her eyes snapped back up to meet Dorothy's own while the girl had managed to catch and cling protectively to her beloved pet.

"I… I found it in the room I was given for the night in the Emerald City. I wanted to ask the Wizard about it but I forgot. I was going to ask him later," Dorothy explained.

"And what is so enchanting about a picture of the Wizard as he once was posing with Glinda and someone from China Town?" Theodora spat at the girl.

Dorothy's eyes widened comically as she looked down at the picture in Theodora's hands as if to get another look at it from across the room before looking back at the green skinned woman. "That's Miss Glinda?" she asked.

"Well of course it is you little twit. Other than changing her hair and the style of crown she hasn't changed that much. It's not like witches age at the same rate that normal people do," Theodora responded with a snort.

"I… I never noticed. I guess I was just so scared and shocked when I came here that I didn't see it," Dorothy whispered as much to herself as to respond to Theodora's question.

"Didn't see what, girl? What about this picture caught your attention so?" Theodora asked with a shrewd look.

"It… it looked like my mother. I wanted to know if it was a picture of Uncle Oscar and my mother before he came to Oz. They were good friends, you see, when they were children. Before Uncle Oscar went off to learn his magic tricks and before he vanished in the twister before Momma and Poppa were married. But I had never seen momma dressed like that and I wanted to know if it was really her and if Uncle Oscar had some stories about her," Dorothy rambled, still in shock at Theodora's revelation.

Even Theodora, wicked as she was, noted the sorrow in Dorothy's tone and body language as the girl spoke of her mother. "Where is your mother, girl? Why are you whining about your Aunt and Uncle?" she asked her tone a bit less harsh than before.

"Momma's gone. Has been for seven years now. Poppa, too. The Spanish flu took 'em both," Dorothy explained sadly.

"Spanish flu? What is that? Some kind of monster or witch?" Theodora asked in confusion.

Dorothy shook her head as she replied, "No, ma'am. It's a sickness. It killed a bunch of people back then until it burned itself out. It wasn't like the normal flu, they said. It was as awful as anything folks had ever seen," Dorothy explained.

The revelations Theodora had just obtained from the girl left her stunned for a moment and she was left unsure how to proceed as a result. Although now she understood what made her dislike the sight of the girl so much. She looked just like Glinda had at that age minus her darker hair. In fact, if her hair was a shade or two darker she could pass for Glinda's and the Wizard's child. And the thought of such a child, of a tangible proof of their betrayal, made Theodora very angry.

Suddenly the room seemed too stuffy and confining for Theodora. She had to get out of there. She had to think. To breathe. To get away from this wretched child with her innocent eyes talking about things Theodora wasn't certain she wanted to hear. She took a moment to compose herself before she straightened and said, "Well that is definitely Glinda. He obviously took it before I took his mortal shell away from him before I was cast out of the Emerald City so you can calm yourself about it. It's not your mother. Just the traitorous witch that used to be my…"

"Your what?" Dorothy asked once it was clear Theodora did not intend to continue from where she had trailed off.

"Never you mind my what. That's not your concern, girl. For now I have things I need to do. In the meantime I suggest you decide how you are going to give me those Shoes when I return. Because if you don't? Well, there are _other_ ways to get them," Theodora warned before storming out of the room and locking it behind her.

"Oh Toto, what are we going to do now?" Dorothy lamented.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you for all the reviews and PMs so far. I am glad to see so many people are enjoying my work. And the more feedback I get the more I can flesh this little version of Oz out in my head and keep the creative juices flowing. So, please, keep it coming.

Also, yes I named the China Girl Anna in honor of Oscar's Annie. And I kind of went with a Gargoyles way of looking at things in China Town in regards to names where they did not see the need for individual names the way humans did as a way to explain why when Oz and Flinley introduced themselves the Little China Girl she never gave them her name in return. Simply put, she didn't have one until Oz gave her one sometime after the movie. The next chapter will have more Theodora and Dorothy, as well as the Scarecrow (we all know he just needs to be stuffed back together), the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and even a bit of Oscar himself but it might take a couple of days because I have a birthday party to go to tomorrow on top of a ton of work to finish. I'll have to play it by ear for now.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's note: **Okay I'm taking a few liberties here to explain why Evanora wasn't made Queen herself when Glinda was in Exile as the eldest heir. Essentially, I'm making all three Witches half sisters. Evanora is the daughter of a sorceress Pastoria met in Ev before he became king. Glinda was the first heir of his first Queen. Theodora was the child of a later disgraced second Queen that Pastoria married after his first wife died in childbirth. Evanora could not inherit as she was not born in Oz and only came to join her father's court as first a courtier, and later an adviser, when Theodora was still very young. That also ties up why Evanora had a British accent while nobody else in Oz had one. For now consider a British accent and an Evian Accent to sound similar.

* * *

Theodora did all she could to compose herself as she raced down from the tower rooms where Dorothy was held and went to her more often than not unused chambers in the main area of the Castle. She didn't like coming here. It was too quiet and gave her too much time to think. All thinking ever did was confuse her. Evanora had said not to think too much. That remembering could bring back some of the pain she had helped Theodora take away. But now, she couldn't help it.

"Damn you Wizard. Why does just looking at a picture of you still bother me like this? Why do I still _care_? I can't feel anymore. Evanora said so. Nothing but delectable wickedness would remain. Sister, why does it still hurt? You said it would stop hurting," Thedora wailed to herself in the privacy of her bedchamber. It was a testament to her willpower that she refused to let a tear fall in her torment as she stumbled to her dresser and stared at herself in the mirror.

It was eerily similar to how she had watched her tears fall the day the Wizard broke her heart. The day he chose perfect little Glinda just like everyone else did. Glinda the rightful heir to the throne. Glinda _the Good_. Glinda who wasn't the product of a "youthful indiscretion" on behalf of King Pastoria with a sorceress he met during his travels in the Land of Ev before he had returned and married Glinda's mother the way Evanora had been. Glinda, who wasn't the daughter of his second wife, a minor noble from Munchkin Country named Melena who had married the king a few years after Glinda's own birth had claimed his first wife like Theodora was. It was always Glinda. The perfect legitimate child with her golden hair with a gentle curl just like her mother. The one who got everything. A gorgeous Castle in Quadling Country with a nation behind her that worshipped her even during her exile. A mother that wasn't cast out after she was discovered to be _rutting _with half her guard detail after the she had done her duty to provide an heir to the throne. The love and admiration of all of Oz. The Wizard himself…

"No. No! I hate him. I hate you both," Theodora screeched as she glared at the photo she had brought with her without realizing it. Her attention lingered on the Wizard's face a moment longer than she would have liked before she tore it away to glare at herself in the mirror. And for a moment, she saw herself dressed in her traditional red and white, the marks of her tears marring her porcelain skin with deep gouging burns. The hallucination lingered for but a heartbeat before she was confronted with the fearsome visage of her true face. Garish green skin and unnatural angles to her nose and chin were the most prominent features on her. Evanora had been right. She was hideous, inside and out. All of Oz could see that now.

"It still serves you right," she growled at herself as he talon-like nails dug deep gouges into the black marble top of her dresser.

* * *

"Oh Toto, I don't know what to do. None of this is going like it should. However will Uncle Oscar help Miss Theodora if she is still so angry?" Dorothy asked her pet as she set the terrier down and walked around the room to inspect it. It was obviously used as a workspace given the various jarred ingredients that Dorothy had no hope of identifying on the shelves along the walls, as well as an observatory if the telescope in the window was any indication. Dorothy idly wondered if Miss Theodora had taken to stargazing during the lonely nights here away from the rest of Oz?

The part of Dorothy that had been raised on a healthy dose of proper chores and responsibility by her Aunt and Uncle also took note of the general state of disrepair in the room. Dorothy wrinkled her nose a bit at the mess of shattered bottle and powders that he been pushed to the side of the room along with the various scorch marks near the fireplace and on the occasional wall. "Well I suppose the least I could do is try to be a little useful here until we think of something," Dorothy commented to herself as she moved about until she located broom closet, but not the one that stored the black broom Theodora used to fly with.

With a rather mundane looking broom and dustpan in hand, along with what looked to be a dusting rag that she tucked into the pocket of her dress, Dorothy set herself to task straightening up as she considered her options. She knew that using the fireworks Uncle Oscar had given her would be a fool's errand locked in a Castle Tower like she was. Nor could she risk giving the Silver Shoes to Miss Theodora to save herself. Not only had Uncle Oscar said something about them possibly hurting her, but Dorothy had learned the previous evening as she prepared herself for bed that the enchanted footwear would not come off of her feet willingly no matter how hard she tried.

She hoped Miss Theodora would be in less of a mood whenever she discovered that little fact.

"Still, between you and me Toto, I like her much better than that awful Almira Gulch back home. At least Miss Theodora has a reason to be mean to people besides putting on airs because she's rich. And Miss Theodora is prettier than her to boot. Well if she did something about those eyebrows, I mean," Dorothy commented to the terrier.

* * *

It took a good couple of hours to gather together the remains of the Scarecrow and stuff him back together back in the Dark Forest where the Winged Monkeys had attacked. "There. Now, that's the best we can do without any pins," The Tin Man commented as he looked over the Scarecrow with a critical eye.

"Well, I have to say they were even worse than the crows back in my cornfield," the Scarecrow said one he was back together and able to move under how own power.

"I just wonder why they only really hurt you? I mean they chased the Cowardly Lion and distracted me while they grabbed Dorothy and Toto, but they really tore into you," the Tin Man noted with a look of concern.

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is we need to get to the Witch's Castle and rescue Dorothy. Oz only knows what she might be facing right now," the Scarecrow noted with a look of worry.

"Do we have to? I mean, maybe the Wizard is there already and Dorothy will be back soon after he deals with the Wicked Witch," the Lion asked with a cringe.

"You know better than to call her that. The Wizard himself said we should feel bad for Miss Theodora and want to help her. It's not her fault that the Wicked Witch of the East was no better to her own family than she was to anyone else," the Tin Man noted with a scowl.

"You seem awfully eager to accept that everything was the Witch of the East's fault," the Scarecrow noted.

The Tin Man's scowl deepened a bit, a far cry from the usually compassionate look he held as he said, "She's the reason I'm made of tin now. I was once a simple woodsman chopping down and selling firewood to the farmers in Munchkin Country like my father had before me. But I fell in love with a wonderful girl who had the unfortunate fate of being a servant in the employ of the Witch of the East. Rather than let us marry and risk losing one of her servants, she enchanted my axe to make me keep chopping off parts of myself. Had it not been for the help of the Master Tinker himself, I never would have survived. But he passed away before he could give me my heart. So, yes, it's very easy for me to see the Witch of the East was the true Wicked Witch. And I don't want to leave another of her victims to deal with the aftermath of her cruelties if I can help it."

The others were silent for a moment before the Scarecrow replied, "I understand. I never realized this was so personal for you. I knew the tin smith that put you together was unable to give you a heart, but I never realized how painful this must be for you."

"Like you said, it doesn't matter. What does matter is getting to Dorothy and getting her back to the Emerald City. The Wizard can handle stopping the curse on Miss Theodora. Magic isn't anything I want to be involved with again if I can help it," the Tin Man replied.

"You said it, pal. Why I'd fight a hundred Wicked Witches and all of those flying rats again to help Dorothy," the Cowardly Lion noted with a sniff.

"Then we better start making our way there. Now, do either of you know the exact way to the Castle?" The Scarecrow asked.

He felt a sense of dread deep in his straw as he was met with lank looks and silence for a moment before the Tin Man threatened to start crying in despair. Unfortunately, Dorothy had his oil can with her so they had to stop it before he rusted himself stiff again. Honestly, how could a man that claimed to have no heart be so emotional all the time?

* * *

If there was one thing Oscar had a knack for, other than stage magic and how best to work a crowd for one con or another, it was memorizing details. While his memory wasn't exactly photographic in nature, he still had an eye for detail that helped him to navigate the Dark Forest with relative ease as he approached Theodora's Castle. Fortunately, it appeared that he and his horse had made it a bit farther than he initially estimated before the accident had claimed his steed. With any luck he should make Kiamo Ko by morning at the latest.

Oh, who was he kidding? There was nothing fortunate about this situation. He just hoped that whatever Theodora had in mind for Dorothy would keep until the next day. That was really all he could do for now.

As he moved he recalled the various threats Theodora had leveled at those that opposed her over the years. How she told that one Quadling that she would rip out his tongue, or how she had threatened to kill him while she had him dangling in the air like a worm on a hook. _The Yellow Brick Road with run __**red**__ with the blood of every farmer, Tinker, and Munchkin that opposes us, _she had said that day. Even if it wasn't truly her doing, Theodora could be very dangerous.

And with that in mind he picked up his pace just a bit faster than was truly safe to move.

Although as he hurried along, Oscar did recall one odd thing about those first few encounters with Theodora's Wicked form. He recalled how she said she would kill Glinda since she could not kill him when Glinda had been chained in front of the Emerald Palace during his Big Show. But, not for the first time, he wondered at the look of confused hesitation in her eyes before she could manage to call forth her fireball. A moment of hesitation that allowed Glinda to recover her wand from Anna and escape. He had never seen her have trouble summoning fire like that before or since. Was Theodora trying to get free of whatever Evanora had done even then? Could he truly reach her or was he heading to a final showdown that only one of them would walk away from? It was a question Oscar Diggs could not answer yet, but it was one he would find the answer to shortly. Of that, he was certain.


	9. Chapter 8

Okay, standard disclaimers. I don't own any of the characters or settings. I don't make any money off of this. Please don't sue me since I don't have anything worth taking anyway.

* * *

It took some time for Theodora to tear herself away from the image in the mirror and move to sit heavily at her desk. The last couple of hours had been emotionally draining for her, especially since she was supposed to be unable to feel real emotions in the first place. She looked down at the picture the farmgirl had apparently filched from the private chambers in the Palace in the Emerald City and fought the urge to burn it to ash. She didn't know what upset her more about the picture; that the Wizard was in it, that Glinda was in it, that they were in it together, or that they looked so disgustingly happy.

Oh it must have amused him so _much_ to toy with Theodora's heart only to have Glinda waiting for him. Glinda who had apparently looked just like a childhood friend, and if she guessed right, probably a lost love of his. One that cared enough about him that she raised her own daughter to think of him as a beloved uncle when she had to have been born nearly a decade after his disappearance.

Theodora's eyes widened a bit at the realization. She suddenly realized why the Wizard would trust Glinda so readily when Theodora herself knew he had not met her until his third day in the Land of Oz as she was the one to find him when he fell out of the sky. She had even been willing to risk horrific burns, if not her outright demise, to track him to those river faerie infested shallows. Theodora grinned cruelly as she realized that Glinda had capitalized on something very dear to the Wizard's heart and used him ruthlessly whether she knew at that point or not.

"Not so good and pure after all, were you, Glinda?" she asked the image in the photo. "Did you know that it wasn't even you that he followed? Did you care that you were using his life before he came here to turn him against us, against me?"

For some reason Theodora found the whole thing tragically comical as she cackled to herself in the privacy of her chambers. It would be some time later, vacillating between mirth and rage several times over the Wizard and Glinda, before she felt composed enough to encounter Dorothy again and try to recover her sister's Shoes.

* * *

It was a few hours later, long after the sun had set, that Theodora returned, this time accompanied by her "three generals," although the Winged Monkeys chose to remain silent in protest to her use of the Golden Helmet to force their actions.

"You… cleaned," Theodora noted with a look of mild confusion.

Dorothy gave a small curtsey, unsure how to truly act toward Miss Theodora given that she was mistress of not only the Castle, but this whole section of Oz from what Dorothy was made to understand. "Yes ma'am. I hope you don't mind. I thought I could at least be useful while I was here," she explained hesitantly.

"You're an odd one girl. That much is certain," Theodora said with a shake of her head. She had spent the better part of the last two hours trying to forget thoughts of her past and failing miserably at it. Finally she decided all she could do was to get those damnable Shoes off of the girl's feet and get her out of Kiamo Ko for good. Although she had the feeling keeping her around would make things infinitely more livable if she had some kind of compulsion to clean when nervous. Lurline knew neither the Winkies nor the Winged Monkeys were very good at such tasks and Theodora had certainly never learned the ins and outs of such things growing up as Royal child. Not with spellcraft to study in addition to etiquette and politics, even if she was only ever intended to be tasked to use the first.

"I was raised to believe that hard work was a good thing ma'am. You can't be lazy growing up on a farm," Dorothy replied.

"Well it doesn't much matter to me. I came for you answer. Will you give me my sister's Silver Shoes? They're of no use to you. You're not even a sorceress," Theodora began, trying to keep her tone level for a change.

"Oh Miss Theodora, ma'am, I would if I could. Honestly, I would. I just don't know how," Dorothy tried to explain.

Anger blossomed on the Witch's green face as she snarled, "Don't give me that. No one is too dim to figure out how to take off a pair of shoes!"

"I've tried. Honestly I have. I couldn't even take them off in the Emerald City that first night. They just won't come off," Dorothy insisted.

"Nonsense. You're trying to stall me, girl, and I won't have it. Give me those Shoes," Theodora demanded as she lunged for the footwear in question, fully intending to wrench them right off of Dorothy's feet, before she was stopped cold by what looked like arcs of yellow lightning that prevented her from getting within half a foot of the Shoes themselves. For a moment, save for the color, it looked as if Evanora's own powers had been summoned from beyond the grave to punish her sister for daring to touch something that wasn't hers.

Although the reality was more likely a kind of feedback loop between the power Theodora had stored in the Shoes when she had created them years ago and her own powers flaring in her agitation as she tried to take them.

"Curse you," Theodora snarled at the girl as she backed away and rubbed her injured hand.

"Oh my, they've never done _that_ before. Are you all right?" Dorothy asked in genuine compassion. She had no desire to see the confused and angry woman before her hurt. She was not raised to wish ill upon anyone.

"I'm fine," Theodora spat indignantly as she glared at the child, unsure of how to react to genuine human kindness after being denied it for so long. "Tell me girl, did you take the Shoes off of my sister's feet yourself?"

Dorothy looked somewhat affronted at the very notion as she shook her head vehemently and replied, "Of course not. That would be a terrible thing for me to do."

"And just how exactly did they come to be on your feet?" Theodora asked with narrowed eyes.

"I… I'm not sure. You and Miss Glinda were arguing, and then she mentioned the Silver Shoes and you went to get them, and then they just appeared on my feet. But I didn't' take them, I promise," Dorothy insisted.

"Yes. Yes, of course. Glinda. It's always Glinda. Must have been some kind of protection spell along with the transference. She would know how to counter me better than anyone now that Evanora is gone. Probably helped the Wizard call the damned farmhouse while she was at it. A good way to be rid of her without getting their hands dirty. Very clever. Very clever," Theodora mumbled to herself. Her attention shifted from Dorothy's feet to her eyes as she gave the girl a calculating look and asked, "But it leaves the question of how to retrieve them. You said you can't remove them either?"

"No ma'am. I tried. They just won't come off," Dorothy responded.

"Grr, damn that Glinda. I should have realized. But…No! Fool that I am, I should have realized…" Theodora began before trailing off. Her expression grew devious as she continued, "Those shoes Shoes will never come off as long as… you're alive."

Dorothy looked startled at the realization as tears began to gather in her eyes as she whimpered, "What are you going to do?"

Theodora's lips pulled into a heinous smile as she responded, "What do you think I'm going to do? But that's not what's worrying me; it's how to do it. Things like this must be done delicately or I could hurt the spell," Theodora thought aloud.

In truth, she had no intention of actually killing the girl. She had long ago decided that if she was to kill anyone herself she would reserve such an act for the Wizard (which was impossible) or Glinda. As much as she hated this girl for looking like what a daughter of Glinda and the Wizard would look like, she also appreciated the pain that seeing such as child must have brought them both. And she rather liked how her arrival probably hurt the Wizard with memories of his past before he was named the Wizard. But she needed something. Perhaps an endless sleep potion? There were a number of spells that could simulate death well enough without the body considering them to be an attack and setting off the defensive enchantment. Then she could recover the shoes and send the girl to the Wizard as a reminder of the cost of defying her.

Dorothy looked panicked for a moment before she pleaded, "Please Miss Theodora, don't do this. This isn't right. You know it's not. It's just a nasty, wicked, spell that was forced on you. Uncle Oscar said you were still good inside. You don't want to hurt anyone."

Theodora's expression went from calculating to furious in the blink of an eye as she demanded, "What!?"

"You're not evil. I know you're not. This is something the Wicked Witch of the East did to you. Uncle Oscar told me he's been trying to find a cure for you since it happened. He wants you to get better," Dorothy insisted through her mounting tears.

"How dare you judge me?" Theodora roared as her hands came alight in her fury. "Did your sainted 'Uncle Oscar' also tell you that he was responsible for me looking like this? That he did everything in his power to charm me and convince me I would become his Queen those first two days after I found him only to go behind my back and seduce my sister the same way? And then the scoundrel had the nerve to vanish in the night like the lying cheat that he was and toss us _both_ aside for Glinda. I suppose she should at least be grateful she could manipulate his fickle heart by looking like your mother. No doubt he would have betrayed her too if she hadn't."

Dorothy took a step back in shock as Theodora's tirade grew progressively more powerful along with her anger.

"And you _dare_ blame my sister for this? I went to her _begging_ to make the pain stop. To make the Wizard's treachery no longer hurt as I saw him preparing to make Glinda his Queen after agreeing that we were meant to be together. And that's what she did. She took away the pain and freed me from my own broken heart," Theodora spat as she curled her hands into fists and extinguished her flames.

Dorothy knew this might be the best, and perhaps the only, chance to learn exactly what happened the day the Witch of the East cursed Theodora. And so she screwed up her courage as she prodded, "How? How did she take away your pain, Miss Theodora?"

Theodora gave Dorothy a narrow-eyed look before she cackled manically and responded, "You really want to know, my pretty? She came to me with an apple, an apple as green as my skin became, and told me it would take away my pain. That it would seal away my emotions so I could never be hurt by them again and then I would finally be ready to rule beside her, rather than stepping aside to watch Glinda serve as Oz's Queen next to the Wizard. And I took it. I took it and I realized in a moment of clarity that Evanora had been the Wicked Witch all along, and not Glinda as she had claimed to the fool the people in Emerald City. And she smiled as a terrible pain blossomed in my chest while I demanded to know what she did to me. And Evanora laughed as she told me that it was my heart withering away to nothing. My skin became green, and my face became hideous. I was suddenly the Wicked Witch that those fools always assumed I would become. One just like the stories The Wizard had told me of how witches were seen where he came from. And it was liberating. I finally understood that this was what I was meant to be all along. So don't tell me I'm not wicked, girl. I'm more wicked now than you could ever understand."

"But don't you see? That isn't you. Your sister did something to you in order to change you. Uncle Oscar may have hurt you terribly but what you're doing isn't really you. It's a curse that your sister used in order to use you," Dorothy insisted.

Theodora's rage returned full force as he gathered a fireball in her hand, full intending to burn the girl to a crisp then and there for daring to insult what Evanora did to try to help her when another voice stopped her in her tracks and made her blood run cold.

"She's right, Theodora. I may have made a mistake but it was Evanora that truly hurt you. You know that deep down. I know you do," a voice called out from behind Theodora.

And with an icy stab of fear the Wicked Witch of the West turned slowly to see a face she had not seen directly since she was last allowed in the Emerald City. It was far more aged and weathered than it once was, which made no sense to her, but it was still familiar. "No…it can't be. It's a trick. Or a dream. It must be," Theodora whispered to herself. The apparition refused to go away, though, no matter how hard Theodora wished for it to.

"Hello Theodora. It's been a long time," said Oscar Diggs as he stood to confront the Wicked Witch of the West, with his old Winged Monkey friend Finley perched safely on his shoulder.

* * *

**Author's note**: Yes, I know I'm Wicked through and through myself for stopping right there but I have a lot of work to finish tonight and not a lot of time to do it in. Also, the next chapter will run concurrent to this one with Oscar getting to Kiamo Ko and encountering Finley. It depends on my muse whether the full confrontation will be in the next chapter or the one after, so stay "tuned," so to speak. And as always I eagerly await your feedback and reviews. Until next time.


	10. Chapter 9

Oscar cursed himself and his half-brained schemes as he maneuvered over the rocky terrain of the area of Kiamo Ko and copse of trees that made the ones in the Dark Forest look inviting by comparison. He never should have let Dorothy be involved in this. It was his mess, his mistakes that led to Evanora's ability to corrupt Theodora. Now he may well have managed to get Annie's little girls hurt with his own stupidity and pride.

"I promise I'll watch out for her Annie. And I'll save Theodora too. I won't fail again. I won't," Oscar promised as he wove his way through the less than enticing foliage that made up the eastern part of Winkie Country.

"Awk. Head back. You'll die, you'll die," a voice called from above, making Oscar look up to see if there were any Crows in the area.

"Oh, that's not at all familiar," the Wizard grumbled to himself in annoyance as he failed to locate any talking birds.

He made it a few more steps when he was stopped short by a familiar voice calling out "Moooooo!"

The impersonation of a cow made Oscar stop entirely as he looked around hopefully in all directions and said, "It can't be."

"Anything is possible if you believe, old friend" voice called from directly above the Wizard as a familiar Winged Money, albeit one in Theodora's darker colors that she used for her "bellhop uniforms," slid out from behind a large branch and faced the Wizard.

"Finley. You're alright. We were so worried when you never came back. Anna still worries herself sick over what happened to you. Where have you been?" Oz asked with a balance of excitement and wonder in his voice.

For his part Finley flapped his wings and came down to meet Oz with a flying hug before moving back to land as he replied, "Sorry about that, Oscar, but the magic Theodora used to call the rest of my kin to her aid caught me too when I got too close. I can't leave her service until she uses it one more time and exhausts the spell. Not even my life debt to you is enough to overcome it."

Oscar looked somewhere between guilty and horrified at what he was hearing as he replied, "Finley, I'm so sorry."

Finley looked a bit resigned before he smiled sardonically as he responded, "It's not as bad as it sounds. Most of the really mean stuff Theodora wanted done she relied in the Winkies for since they're actual soldiers. And even then she hasn't really crossed the line like Evanora did. As strange as it sounds she's actually pretty good to us. Or as good as she can be the way she is."

There was a pregnant pause between the pair before Finley broke it as he said, "Oz, I was wrong."

"What do you mean you were wrong, Finley?" Oscar asked in confusion.

"About Theodora. I was wrong. Glinda was wrong. I mean Glinda thought there was no good left in Theodora, but me? I thought she was just playing us by pretending to be nice the way Evanora did. But it's not true. You were the one that was right all along. Theodora is still in there. You would only see it sometimes, mostly when Evanora was back in Munchkin Country, but she's not all bad. And… she needs help."

"I'm happy to hear you say that, buddy, but what do you mean, exactly?" Oscar asked.

"I mean Evanora was more wicked than anyone in Oz could imagine. I think the other Winged Monkeys would have torn her apart if we didn't know how much it would hurt Theodora to do it. She… I think she was afraid of how powerful her sister really was. She used to insult her and say things just to get her more and more angry. It was… bad. That woman… having a house fall on her was too good for her. She was a monster," Finley tried to explain.

"Well we knew Evanora was always the one pulling the strings with Theodora to a degree," Oscar replied somberly, sad to hear of the pain Theodora had to endure.

Finley shook his head sorrowfully as he responded, "It was worse than we thought. Much worse. Evanora made it a point to convince Theodora that she was inferior to her sister at every turn, even when the miserable old hag had to rely on borrowing her sister's power with those Shoes to so much as cast a spell. I think, I mean, I don't know for sure or anything, but I think Evanora was doing stuff like that even before you came to Oz. Manipulating her sister to make her easier to control."

Oscar had to agree that it certainly sounded like the way Evanora would play things. He just hated the thought of it. Although it did explain some things about Theodora that Oz had questioned from the first day he met her. Like how a woman he had described as having the "visage of Helen of Troy herself" could have made it to adulthood without ever getting a sincere gift or being asked to dance. Even if her powers made some people nervous, someone as gorgeous as Theodora had been should have had a few suitors in her time. Not unless someone was keeping them away. Someone like the de-facto ruler of Oz who didn't seem to have any moral qualms about manipulating those around her and eliminating those she could not manipulate.

"You were right that day, Monkey. I never should have left her the day we went to confront Glinda. I should have taken her with us," Oscar commented ruefully with a shake of his head.

"Oz, we didn't know. Even after they left the Emerald City I don't think anyone understood just how rotten Evanora really was," Finley countered compassionately.

"Fair enough. It's not like we can change the past anyway," Oscar regretfully agreed. He paused a moment to gather his thoughts before he asked, "How has she been since Evanora's death? And… what happened with the girl, Dorothy?"

"The girl is fine. Even though Theodora had to use the Cap to make us obey her this time, she still ordered that the kid be brought to her unharmed. She really doesn't like her though. Just looking at her makes Theodora furious," Finley reported. "As for Theodora herself? She's been… off center. I think losing Evanora came close to breaking her, Oz. I mean her head has been muddled for years. I think whatever the spell that made her green did also messed with her in the head or something, but this is worse. Her mood swings from raging to cackling and back with no rhyme or reason. She's… it's like she's lacking an anchor. All she can think about is getting Evanora's shoes back, but I don't think she even knows why she wants them. Heck, I don't even think she remembers enchanting the things."

Oscar chuckled ruefully as he replied, "Finley, we're men. Or well I'm a man and you're a male Monkey. The point is, I've known more than one woman that loved fashion in general, especially shoes. I never understood it either."

Finley gave his friend an odd look for a moment before he replied, "That isn't funny, Oz."

Oscar sobered a bit as he replied, "I know. But we need something to try to break the tension."

"Yeah, well I'd rather know what the heck you're doing out here? Alone? I mean you're just lucky this is the area I like to roost instead of some of the others" Finley asked after a pause.

"Believe it or not, I'm on my way to see Theodora," Oscar replied.

There was another pause between the pair before Finley asked, "Oz, did you really send the girl and those guys with her to kill Theodora? Because she's pretty sure that's what you did. And I think she might suspect you dropped the house on her sister, too."

Oscar scowled at Finley for the accusation before he replied, "You know me better than that."

"Yeah. And I know what kind of stress and problems you dealt with running the Emerald City with Theodora and Evanora constantly testing you from two fronts," Finley countered.

Oscar sighed before he responded, "Okay, fine. The thought crossed my mind; but I couldn't do it. Not to Dorothy and not to Theodora. The plan was for Dorothy to draw Theodora out the flee back the Emerald City while I sneak into the Castle to try to reason with her when she came back. I think I might have a way to get through to her. Maybe."

Finley grinned as he replied, "Well then, as a loyal servant to the Wicked Witch of the West and a friend to the Great and Terrible Oz both, I suppose it's my solemn duty to help you help Miss Theodora."

Oscar snorted and gave Finley a half smile before he replied, "Together again, huh Monkey?"

Finley's smile only grew as he moved up onto Oscar's shoulder and replied, "At least I didn't sneeze the plan away this time."

* * *

As Oscar and Finley made their way toward the Castle from the North, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion approached from the south after a few twists and turns in the Dark Forest.

"Okay, so what do we do?" the Tin Man asked as the trio watched the marching ranks of Winkie guards from a rocky outcropping.

"Well, our best bet is to try to sneak in. Then we can find Dorothy and Toto, get them out, and hopefully let the Wizard do his thing," Scarecrow suggested.

"Sounds good. How are we going to do it?" the Tin Man asked.

"Good question," Scarecrow replied with a shrug.

As the pair debated about how to get into Kiamo Ko, the Cowardly Lion caught a scent on the changing wind. One that was far too close for comfort. He looked back and saw something that had him legitimately worried for a change as his eyes went wide and he turned to them as he said, "Um, fellas?"

The Tin Man and Scarecrow ignored him as they went over ideas to get into the Castle, forcing the Lion for say "Fellas, this is kind of important!"

The Scarecrow and the Tin Man stopped speaking to look at the Lion in unison before the Tin Man asked, "What is it, Lion?"

With a tremble and a whimper, the Lion made a motion behind them with his head as he replied, "That."

As it turned out, "that" was a trio of Winkie scouts that had stumbled onto the three while on patrol and were just about to pounce on them.

What followed was a short scuffle that demonstrated that while formidable as a fighting force, three Winkies were hardly a match for a full grown Lion and a pair of tireless magically animated men. In the end there were three unconscious Winkie soldiers and three uniforms to help the trio sneak their way into the Castle.

* * *

Finley and Oscar made their way silently through Kiamo Ko courtesy of relatively unknown passages that Finley had scouted years before when he first came under the spell of the Cap. He had initially scouted them in hopes that he could somehow get word to Oscar or Glinda to come save him, although the compulsion of the Cap prevented him from sending out word as he had hoped. Now they were being used to get the Wizard to Theodora and Dorothy to mount the kind of rescue that Finley had never dreamed of.

As they drew closer to the tower room where Dorothy was being held Oscar could hear Theodora's rough and angry voice carry through the halls.

_"Did your sainted 'Uncle Oscar' also tell you that he was responsible for me looking like this? That he did everything in his power to charm me and convince me I would become his Queen those first two days after I found him only to go behind my back and seduce my sister the same way? And then the scoundrel had the nerve to vanish in the night like the lying cheat that he was and toss us __both__ aside for Glinda. I suppose she should at least be grateful she could manipulate his fickle heart by looking like your mother. No doubt he would have betrayed her too if she hadn't. And you __dare__ blame my sister for this? I went to her __begging__ to make the pain stop. To make the Wizard's treachery no longer hurt as I saw him preparing to make Glinda his Queen after agreeing that we were meant to be together. And that's what she did. She took away the pain and freed me from my own broken heart," _he heard.

Finley gave Oz a 'Look' at the revelation even as Oscar whispered out, "That's not what happened. You know that. I never touched Evanora. And _she_ was the one talking about getting married after we knew each other two days. How was I supposed to know how attention starved Evanora had left her?"

It was Dorothy's voice he heard next asking how Evanora "took away" Theodora's pain. Part of him wanted to dance at the girl's cleverness. This might just be it. His chance to get the missing piece of the puzzle. To allow Glinda to help reverse whatever Evanora did to her little sister if Oscar could finally reach her…

_"You really want to know, my pretty? She came to me with an apple, an apple as green as my skin became, and told me it would take away my pain. That it would seal away my emotions so I could never be hurt by them again; and then I would finally be ready to rule beside her, rather than stepping aside to watch Glinda serve as Oz's Queen next to the Wizard. And I took it. I took it and I realized in a moment of clarity that Evanora had been the Wicked Witch all along, and not Glinda as she had claimed to the fool the people in Emerald City. And she smiled as a terrible pain blossomed in my chest while I demanded to know what she did to me. And Evanora laughed as she told me that it was my heart withering away to nothing. My skin became green, and my face became hideous. I was suddenly the Wicked Witch that those fools always assumed I would become. One just like the stories The Wizard had told me of how witches were seen where he came from. And it was liberating. I finally understood that this was what I was meant to be all along. So don't tell me I'm not wicked, girl. I'm more wicked now than you could ever understand,"_ Theodora explained and Oscar made sure he committed every detail to memory even as he cursed Evanora for the evil she had committed on an innocent soul like Theodora's. And he cursed himself one more time for giving the Wicked Witch the opportunity in the first place.

Oscar knew it was time to make his appearance when he looked through where the door to the tower room was cracked and saw the rage-fueled tenseness in Theodora's slender shoulders. It was time to put an end to all of this before someone got hurt. He just hoped he was right about being able to get through to her. Because his backup plan was not one he really wanted to rely on. Ever.

Oscar had to admit to being immensely proud of Dorothy as he heard her exclaim, "But don't you see? That isn't you. Your sister did something to you in order to change you. Uncle Oscar may have hurt you terribly but what you're doing isn't really you. It's a curse that your sister used in order to use you," as he moved into the room behind the Witch of the West.

Oscar tensed as he saw Theodora gather a fireball in her hand as he temper got the better of her. It was now or never…

"She's right, Theodora. I may have made a mistake but it was Evanora that truly hurt you. You know that deep down. I know you do," Oscar called out from behind Theodora.

And with an icy stab of fear the Wicked Witch of the West turned slowly to see a face she had not seen directly since she was last allowed in the Emerald City. It was far more aged and weathered than it once was, which made no sense to her, but it was still familiar. "No…it can't be. It's a trick. Or a dream. It must be," Theodora whispered to herself. The apparition refused to go away, though, no matter how hard Theodora wished for it to.

"Hello Theodora. It's been a long time," said Oscar Diggs as he stood to confront the Wicked Witch of the West, with his old Winged Monkey friend Finley perched safely on his shoulder.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yes I'm even worse for ending it here again, but I did warn you that I might. Sadly work ran late and even with inspiration hitting me to get this part out I know when I need to stop. I'll try to get the next part out as soon as possible. Sorry about this.


	11. Chapter 10

"This is impossible. It's…I destroyed your body that day in the Emerald City and you took on your ethereal form. You said it yourself," Theodora babbled as she took a step back in fright. "No! It has to be a trick. You're an imposter. An agent of the Wizard's and Glinda's. You're much too old to be the Wizard. Why would he assume a mortal form so much older than his original one?" Theodora denied.

"It's me Theodora. Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, but everyone calls me Oz. Remember?" Oscar replied with a tentative smile.

"You… that's how you introduced yourself to me the day I found you in the river," Theodora whispered.

"And, remember, I thought I was dead. And I asked if you were an angel, and when you denied it I screamed to the heavens in thanks for another chance to make something of myself," Oscar continued. "Now do you know anyone else that would claim they thought the future Wicked Witch of the West was an Angel?"

"No. All of Oz has agreed, I'm Wicked through and through," Theodora responded in a dead monotone.

"Not all of Oz, Theodora. I never thought that. Not really," Oscar stated compassionately.

"Me either. And neither did Chistery, or Nikko, or Treackle. You're not wicked, Theodora. You're hurt and scared," Finley chimed in with an encouraging smile.

"You… you're the Monkey from earlier. The one that stayed when I dismissed the others. You're that Monkey we rescued the second day, Finley, aren't you?" Theodora demanded.

"Guilty as charged, Mistress," Finley replied softly.

"You've been spying on me. Reporting back to the Wizard all this time haven't you?" Theodora snapped in anger as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

"You know better than that, Theodora. Finley has to follow you because of the Golden Cap just like every other Winged Monkey. He can't betray you," Oscar interjected as he raised his hands in deference to try to calm the green woman.

Theodora's eyes narrowed hatefully as she spat, "No, that's always been your specialty instead, hasn't it?"

"I've made more mistakes in my life than I care to remember, Theodora, before and after I met you. I won't deny that. Leaving you in the Emerald City that day when I went to first confront Glinda thinking she was the Wicked Witch instead of your sister was one of my worst. One I've come to regret a great deal," Oscar replied evenly as he tried to step closer to the Witch, only to have her recoil in fear and disgust.

"Liar!" Theodora spat. "You're just saying what you think I want to hear to save the girl. You can't stand the thought of someone that looks so much like what you could have spawned with Glinda being _tainted_ with my presence."

Oscar moved his head to the side in contemplation before he let out a rueful chuckle and replied, "You know, I never even thought of that. I mean, Annie and Glinda look so alike it's uncanny but I see a lot of her father in her too, even if she only has his hair color. Jon Gale was a good man. Better than I could ever hope to be."

"So your fickle heart couldn't even hold onto to Glinda, then. Is that it, you louse?" Theodora snarled.

Oscar shook his head sadly as he glanced at Dororthy before he returned his attention to Theodora and replied, "Actually Glinda was the one that broke off anything romantic with me a long time ago. She convinced herself she was competing for me with Annie's memory and would never measure up. And I think she got tired of spending time with someone she couldn't even go out in public with."

Theodora's response to the revelation was cut short as the door burst open suddenly to reveal the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man, still in Winkie uniforms and ready to rescue Dorothy. "What is Lurline's name?" Theodora demanded at the odd sight.

Oscar sighed to himself as he commented, "You guys have to have the worst timing I've ever seen. And after some of the assistants I had back home, that's saying something." His mind briefly went back to that airheaded girl he had recruited from the midway concession to act as the audience plant that couldn't even remember to volunteer to be levitated for his act. No, on second thought they were all much smarter than her, even the Scarecrow with his supposed brainlessness.

"So, you've brought your little constructs to come help you finish me off, eh? Well I won't be destroyed as easily as Evanora was," Theodora shot back defensively as she summoned her broom to her and held it across her chest diagonally like a quarter staff.

"You're wrong, Theodora. I didn't even know where they were in the forest. I came alone until I ran into Finley. I wanted to talk to you face to face. Just you and me," Oscar said to try to placate the Witch.

Theodora's expression turned sinister as he slyly replied, "Did you now? Well then why don't I just remove everyone else so we can… talk." Her expression moved to the three Ozian intruders as she asked, "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?" and lit the bristled end of her broom aflame with her powers.

The Scarecrow cringed back in fright as Dorothy ran between him and Theodora to try to protect her friend as she cried out, "Please don't Miss Theodora. They just came to rescue me, I'm sure. They're not here to try to hurt anyone."

"Get out of the way child. I have nothing to lose by removing you, too, in order to get my sister's Shoes back," Theodora snarled.

"No. You won't do that. You're not really Wicked, ma'am. I know it. You're sad and angry. There's a difference," Dorothy insisted.

Theodora looked stunned at the odd defense of her character before she growled, "Believe what you will, girl. Why should I care?"

"Because she's not the one you want to hurt. Not really. She never was," Oscar interjected. His words made Theodora pause to regard him quizzically as she noted some strange device in his hand. Her curiosity piqued even more when she heard Dorothy gasp and bring her hands to her mouth in fright at the sight of it. Whatever it was, it had to have powerful magic.

"Uncle Oscar, what are you doing with a gun?" Dorothy asked, terrified at the thought that her Uncle might be about to shoot Miss Theodora.

"Making sure you get out of here, Dorothy. You were never meant to get this far anyway. You should already be back in the Emerald City. But I know Theodora. Just because she won't kill you doesn't mean she won't hurt you if she feels she's pushed to it. This has to stop here and now, one way or another," Oscar coldly replied.

"So that's it then. What is that, something like what you used to call the stars to your aid in the Emerald City?" Theodora asked with dark resignation.

"Something like that. It's been used to do terrible things where I'm from. Honestly, it's something that never should exist in a place like Oz, where only Evanora was ever willing to stoop to murder to accomplish her twisted goals," Oscar responded icily.

"Oz, what are you doing? You said you were going to help Theodora," Finley asked, horrified as he jumped away from his friend and moved to stand near Dorothy and the others.

"What needs to be done, Finley. This has been between Theodora and I since the first moment I came here. And the only ones that could settle it are the two of us," Oscar declared with a sense of finality. "Now let the girl than the others leave, Theodora."

"You always did manage to surprise me when you wanted to, Wizard," Theodora spat hatefully. "Go on then. Finish it. What's the point of fighting anymore? I've been fighting you for twenty years. End me and make your rule over all of Oz complete," Theodora replied with a sense of resignation. In a way, part of her had been expecting this since Evanora's demise. She knew she would not be able to last long without her sister to guide her.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Let Dorothy and her friends go so we can settle things," Oscar ordered.

"Fine. They are free to go," Theodora conceded as the flames on her broom extinguished.

Dorothy was in tears as she insisted, "Uncle Oscar, you can't. She's not bad inside. You know she's not. She needs help. You can't just shoot her."

Oscar moved over to Dorothy and hugged her gently with one arm even as he kept his derringer trained on Theodora and watched her carefully. Quietly, so that Theodora could not overhear him, he whispered, "I told you I had a plan. I'm not going to hurt her, but I need you to take the others and leave. We should be along to follow you. And if we're not, tell the Emerald City guards to call for Glinda. She'll help you."

Dorothy wanted to ask more, but as she looked up into Oscar's face his reassuring wink was enough for her to trust in him. She had to believe he would do what was right. That he would save Miss Theodora no matter what. She nodded tearfully as she said, "Let's go then, everybody. Miss Theodora, no matter what you think, you're not Wicked. I wish you could see that," before making a slow exit from the tower with Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion all following behind her.

Once he was sure they were gone, Oscar gave Theodora a flirtatious smile and waggled his eyebrows comically as he commented, "Alone at last."

Theodora rolled her eyes at the display. Evanora was right, he really was a buffoon. A powerful buffoon that was about to end her worthless life, but a buffoon all the same. "Just hurry it up and finish this. We both know how it has to end," she spat.

Oscar's face went from flirtatious to serious as he replied, "I never said _I_ was going to use this pistol on _you,_ Theodora."

"What?" Theodora asked in confusion before she suddenly was forced to catch the device in Oz's hand as he tossed to her underhand without any warning. "What is this?" she demanded.

"Something you've wanted for twenty years since Evanora gave you that apple. A way to kill me. A way to finally win. No tricks, no escapes. No ethereal form for me to take. Point the open end at me and pull the trigger and it will shoot out a pellet that can kill me if you hit me anywhere vital," Oz instructed, knowing full well thanks to Glinda that any witch would have a detailed background in anatomy as part of their healing and potions research as a novice.

"This is some kind of trick. Why would you do something like this?" Theodora demanded as she looked at the odd device.

"No tricks, Theodora. Just you and I finishing what's come between us over the years. I owe you that much. That much and more. I never meant to hurt you," Oscar insisted.

Theodora looked into Oscar's eyes to try to gauge his sincerity before raising the pistol to aim it at his heart. "I could use this to destroy your heart. Just like you destroyed mine," Theodora said with an evil smile.

Oscar nodded in agreement as he replied, "You could. But from what I just heard it was Evanora that destroyed your heart. Not me."

"How dare you! How dare you accuse Evanora when you used another of those accursed music boxes to charm and seduce my sister? That was what destroyed me. She just tried to take away my pain," Theodora angrily insisted.

"Then why did she laugh, Theodora?" Oscar asked calmly, apparently unconcerned that he was staring death itself in the face.

"What?" Theodora asked in confusion at the question.

"You told Dorothy she laughed as your heart withered away and you realized she was the Wicked one instead of Glinda. If she was only trying to help you, why did she laugh at your pain?" Oscar asked insistently.

"I…I don't…" Theodora waffled, only to shake her head angrily as she spat, "You're just trying to confuse me. You want me to ignore what you did to my family. Even to that traitor Glinda!"

"I'm just asking you a simple question, Theodora. Nothing more," Oscar insisted calmly. "But if you like I can ask you another. Where would I get a second music box? Do you really think I would carry several of them with me in a travel bag to seduce random women I might meet if a tornado doesn't happen to kill me?"

"What do you mean?" Theodora asked she cocked her head to the side and considered his query.

"The music box was something you could pick up in any decent sized city where I was from, Theodora. I won't lie about that. The line about my grandmother was something I got into the habit of telling women to charm them, just like I charmed you. But I only had one with me and that was because I liked to tinker with things and I had just finished repairing it a few days ago and had thrown it in my bag without thinking. I never had a second one." Oscar explained.

"No! You're lying. You used it to seduce Evanora just like you did me. She described how you came to her chambers and pressed your body to hers. She showed it to me, just like the one you gave me. It even played the same song," Theodora insisted as she tried to fight back tears.

"The night before I left Oz Evanora ended the tour of the city in the treasure room after telling me I couldn't be crowned King until I dealt with the Wicked Witch. Then I headed to the room that had been arranged for me until dawn when I left with Finley. I knew something about it was odd and I said I should say goodbye to you first so you wouldn't be mad, but Evanora started saying all this stuff about how she would tell you how I had declared my undying love for you or something and it scared me. I mean we had only known each other for a couple of days and you were already talking about us getting married," Oscar continued.

"But she showed me the box," Theodora insisted.

"And did she say that it was my grandmother's? That line was a habit of mine by then, Theodora. You certainly didn't need it, or care about it the way someone at home would, but I still said it like it was a nervous tick. So, did Evanora say anything about it being my grandmother's?" Oscar pressed.

"…no. No she just described what you did. And it was exactly-" Theodora began, only to be cut off.

"-like someone that had watched us together that first night? Like Evanora could on her crystal ball, even though she couldn't hear what was said?" Oscar finished.

"No. No! She wouldn't lie to me. She was my sister," Theodora painfully shouted as a tear fell from her right eye and left a smoking trail down her cheek.

"You mean like how she lied to you about killing your father? Her _own father_ and then blamed Glinda for the crime?" Oscar reminded her.

"Why are you saying this? Do you enjoy torturing me further? Was losing everyone once in my life not enough for you?" Theodora demanded as she tried to hold herself back from weeping outright.

"No, I just want things to finally be clear between us, like I said. Now, if you really still want to see me dead, I won't stop you. But it's your decision, nobody else's" Oscar calmly explained.

Theodora took aim again with the derringer, her hand trembling violently as she bellowed in rage and fired.

Oscar winced and closed his eyes at the sound. When it was clear that he wasn't wounded in any way, Oscar opened his eyes to see that Theodor had jerked her hand and fired into the hearth as she did with her fireballs when she lost control, before tossing the gun to the ground in disgust and sinking to her knees. "Why? Why can't I kill you?" she whispered brokenly.

Oz moved forward and knelt next to her as he put his arms gently around her shoulders to comfort the Witch as he replied, "Because you are better than you realize. Better than Evanora ever expected you to be when she tried to extinguish the good in you."

"It hurts. It hurts so much. Why do the people I love always betray me?" Theodora asked as she tried to fight off fresh tears.

"Because they're fools, myself included," Oscar whispered back to her.

"What now?" Theodora asked after they spent several moments clinging to each other on the ground.

"I don't know. Now that we know what happened to your heart, and with the spell books Evanora was forced to leave behind, we should be able to reverse whatever it was that the apple did, at least, if you're willing to come home to the Emerald City," Oscar offered.

"You would welcome me back after all this time?" Theodora asked in shock.

"The offer was always open, from the first day you left," Oscar reminded her.

"Yes, if I could find the good in my heart again. But what if there isn't any good left in me even when my heart is restored?" Theodora asked.

"Theodora, if you could command the respect and admiration of those like Finley and the other Winged Monkeys all these years you have more good in you than you ever realized," Oscar replied with a smile.

There was another pause between the pair before Theodora pushed back and asked, "So this was your plan? To offer to let me kill you?"

"Sort of. I mean I actually intended to find you here alone and collect on the dance you offered me in Quadling Country when you broke Glinda's barrier. I kind of hoped seeing the music box would help me get through to you. I didn't know Evanora had used a fake to lie to you. And I expected you to try to take Dorothy yourself before she ever got to the Dark Forest. She had a few tricks I cooked up in her basket to scare you off so she could run back to the safety of the Emerald City. I was supposed to be here to meet you when you got back. But nothing really went to plan and after that; I had to improvise." Oscar explained.

"You took a terrible risk," Theodora cautioned.

"You had faith in me once. It was time I returned the favor," Oz replied with a shrug.

Theodora's expression grew grim as she warned, "I still don't like you very much. And I won't trust you and Glinda just because you tell me to. I might me more trouble than I'm worth."

Oscar regarded her for a moment before he gave her a dazzling smile as he replied, "Not trusting me means you've been paying attention. And I think you're more than worth the trouble."

"Why? Why would you have that kind of faith in me when nobody else in the Land of Oz did?" Theodora asked.

"Because I believe in you, Theodora the Good. And when you truly believe, anything is possible," Oscar replied serenely.

* * *

**Author's note:** I suppose I could end it here and have it all tied up in a nice little bow but that's too easy. I promise there will be more chapters still to come here. So strap in because this little ride through the Land of Oz is just getting started.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note**: Okay standard disclaimers. I own nothing. Don't sue. Blah blah blah, words.

This is pretty much a filler chapter. The next one will be in the Emerald City proper and will bring at least Glinda, and possibly the Little China Girl (or rather the grown up China Woman, Anna) into the mix.

* * *

"What do you suppose is happening back there?" the Tin Man asked in concern as Dorothy and her friends headed back through the Dark Forest on their way back to the Emerald City. Fortunately, Finley had made certain to tell the more important of Theodora's Winkie subordinates that they had permission to leave and the Winkies knew better than to argue with an order from their mistress.

"Uncle Oscar told me he had a plan to help Miss Theodora while he hugged me. He just wanted to get us out of there first so we'd be safe. I know he'll do what's right for her," Dorothy reassured him.

"Well that's it then. We just have to trust the Wizard. With all the history there seems to be between then I'm sure he'll be the best one to handle this anyway," Scarecrow agreed.

"Hey Dorothy, what was that thing the Wizard had? You seemed awfully worried about it," the Cowardly Lion asked.

"It's called a gun. People use then for protection, or to hunt for food. They can be awfully dangerous, though, if you aren't careful with how you use them," Dorothy responded.

"I hope the Wizard isn't forced to use it if it's so dangerous," the Tin Man commented.

"He won't have to, I'm sure of it. Uncle Oscar said to expect him to catch up with us before we make it back to the Emerald City," Dorothy explained.

"See, there's no need to fret. Why I bet he'll even have Miss Theodora with him too," The Scarecrow said encouragingly.

Fortunately for Dorothy's nerves as the only one to understand how dangerous the situation had become from Uncle Oscar's side of things, the Scarecrow happened to be correct.

* * *

"This is insane. You do realize that, don't you? I've spent twenty years plotting how to overthrow and/or kill you and now you're taking me home with you because I let you hug me in a moment of weakness?" Theodora commented with a roll of her eyes.

Part of Oscar was saddened that Theodora no longer held the innocent outlook on life she once had. Of course even without Evanora's spell he supposed that it was to be expected after twenty years. He certainly wasn't the same lecherous con artist he had been before he came to Oz. Still for the sake of her feelings he buried his sadness as he grinned and replied, "Guess you should have killed me when you had the chance."

"Like that worked out so well for me the last time I tried it," Theodora grunted disdainfully as she packed a bag for herself. Part of her felt horribly self-conscious about having Oscar in her private chambers but he refused to leave her side, afraid she might change her mind and fly off at any moment. The ironic thing was she would have killed to have this opportunity when she first brought him to the Emerald City and now it just felt horribly awkward and uncomfortable.

The awkwardness only intensified as Oscar looked carefully at her cheek in concern and asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Theodora sighed a bit as she responded, "For the last time, yes. My water allergy is unpleasant but this isn't the first time I've shed a tear. There are more than half a dozen spells, healing oils, and ointments I can use to repair the damage once I have the time, most likely this evening after we get back to the Emerald City."

"I just wanted to make sure. I was worried I'd never get the chance to help you. I don't want to risk something happening to you now," Oscar replied earnestly.

Theodora couldn't help but think back to that first day she met the Wizard and they had to hide from Evanora's winged baboon.

"_Were you afraid?"_

"_Yes. That they might hurt you."_

Theodora sneered at the thought as she forcefully pushed the memory away. It was all lies anyway. He had only been working his way into getting into her pants. She was sure of that now.

"Theodora, why were you so close to the river that day if you're allergic to water?" Oscar asked after a moment to fill the silence.

"What?" Theodora asked, broken out of her own dark musings by the query.

"The day you found me. Why in God's name would you take such an awful chance as to get near the river? I mean, I was dripping wet I could have ended up hugging you or something and really hurt you," Oscar asked in concern.

"I was never all that well received in the Emerald City like Glinda, or even Evanora. People were afraid of me because of the fiery nature of my powers, so I tended to wander when I could, much to Knuck's and my sister's irritation. I saw your balloon fall and had to see what it was. Something falling from the sky was too close to my father's prophecy to ignore," Theodora explained.

"But the water," Oscar pressed.

"There was no danger. I knew to cast a spell to repel water before I got near the river. The only time it's dangerous is when it hits my skin directly. I can even drink it normally with a straw so long as I'm careful," Theodora answered. In truth it was the first time anyone had ever bothered to ask her about her allergy. As the youngest sister, her family and the staff in the Palace knew all of this without her having to explain it. It would figure the Wizard would be the first one to care for her… _No,_she thought to herself. _Don't think like that. Don't start. It only leads to heartbreak. And you're finally going to get your heart back. Don't risk giving it away again. Not on the likes of him._

The conversation was interrupted as a knock came to Theodora's door.

"Yes?" the Witch snapped irritably as the door opened.

Finley stuck his head inside as he tentatively inquired, "Mistress?"

Theodora sighed to herself before she snapped, "Just use my name, Finley. It's not like you're loyal to me by choice."

"Theodora, then. Well, you see, I was talking things over with Chistery, Nikko, and Treackle and we decided that even though I know you can trust Oz… well you see the thing is most of the Winged Monkeys want to come with you because they don't exactly trust the rank and file people in the Emerald City not to try to hurt you," Finley explained.

Theodora could only stare in shock at the Winged Monkey, amazed that it seemed her troops cared for her well being as a person even as Oz looked worried as he replied, "You don't think that might attract a little too much attention? I mean the whole flock of Winged Monkeys together would cause a panic. People would think it's an attack."

"That's what I said. Of course most of the others don't care. We're kind of territorial in nature and Theodora is our leader, no matter how we came into her service. But that's why I was talking things over with the lead Monkeys and we kind of came up with a compromise," Finley responded.

"Let me guess, you're coming with us?" Theodora asked tiredly.

"And Chistery, Nikko, and Treackle since I have too many ties to the Wizard in their eyes. The others will stay and protect the Castle and the countryside like always until you return," Finley elaborated.

"Well, I suppose we won't get back until night time anyway since we have to walk, so getting the four of you into the Palace through the secret passages won't matter. I have no problems with it," Oz commented with a shrug.

"And I know how stubborn you blasted flying rats can be when you get in a mood. Fine, you four, and only you four, may accompany us. Go tell the others. I'm nearly packed and ready to go," Theodora instructed as she turned back to her travel bag and started to place the last of the clothes she was bringing with her in it. After this she would just need a few spell books and journals from the tower and they would be ready to leave.

* * *

Oscar, Theodora and the four Winged Monkeys worked out a brisk pace as they moved through the Dark Forest. Finley took "ground patrol" with the two humans as Chistery scouted ahead, Nikko flew above them, and Treackle guarded their rear. In all honesty, Theodora thought it a bit much. It was obvious that if Oscar had wanted her dead she would be dead. She had pretty much laid her head on the chopping block for him already. There was no reason to think an attack was coming.

"Feels kind of like old times, doesn't it?" Oscar asked as they moved through the Forest.

"Sure does. Well except for you being good enough to carry Miss Theodora's bag for her this time instead of making me carry yours," Finley responded with a playful scowl.

"I still say we could have just ridden my broom to catch up to the others," Theodora grumbled.

"Yeah, not happening. I used to get nauseous enough when Glinda would fly me somewhere and there was nowhere to fall off of her bubbles," Oscar replied with a shake of his head. "Besides the thing leaves a trail of black smoke. Anyone could track us without any trouble. I don't think your guard detail would like that."

"Whatever," Theodora grumbled. She hadn't actually walked over any kind of distance in a very long time and the thought of it was leaving her quite irritable. Even if she had only started doing so to taunt the wizard, she had come to enjoy flying on her broom. It gave her a sense of freedom that her life in opposition to the powers that be in the Land of Oz was sorely lacking.

"Oh cheer up, Theodora. We'll be catch up to them soon," Oscar added with a smile.

"How am I supposed to cheer up when I don't even have a heart, you idiot?" Theodora snapped angrily.

Oscar regarded the green woman for a moment before she shrugged and replied, "It doesn't seem to stop the Tin Man."

"That's not the same and you know it," Theodora shot back.

"Well, look at it this way, you won't be 'heartless' for very much longer," Oscar offered with a wink. In truth, he could see she wasn't all that heartless right now. Addled and angry at the world? Certainly. Still getting over Evanora's death and her lies? Without a doubt. But heartless? No, heartless people don't lament the loss of loved ones. And they don't look to get better either. Either Evanora lied about the nature of the spell itself too, or Theodora had more heart than Evanora could kill. Not that it mattered either way. What mattered is he got her to come back so they could find a cure.

* * *

Dorothy and the others had stopped at the first bench that lined the Yellow Brick Road once they had exited the Dark Forest so that Dorothy could rest. She ate one of the sandwiches she had brought with her and gave Toto some dog treats as she tried to think over all that happened. She also marveled at the fact that her feet weren't at all tired, but chalked that up to the magical nature of the Silver Shoes. Although she still hoped she could talk to Miss Glinda at some point about being able to take them off. Taking a bath would be kind of odd if she needed to wear her shoes and socks the whole time.

"Look at that, up in the sky," the Scarecrow called out as he pointed up above the canopy of the Dark Forest.

"What is it?" the Cowardly Lion asked as he moved closer to Dorothy in order to help protect her.

"It looks like it might be one of Miss Theodora's Winged Monkeys," the Tin Man speculated as he watched the creature carefully.

"Oh I hope that means that they're catching up to us. Do you think we should wait for them to arrive before pressing on?" Dorothy asked hopefully.

The commotion made by the four caught Nikko's attention, who in turn made an animalistic shriek to alert Chistery that he had located the rest of the group before returning to his circling patrol of the skies.

It was a good fifteen minutes later that Chistery emerged from the Dark Forest and perched himself on a stump to regard Dorothy and her friends. "Mistress coming with Wizard. Be here soon. You wait," the Winged Monkey commanded.

"Oh my yes, we'll wait right here for them. Thank you for telling us," Dorothy answered the creature.

Chistery nodded gratefully to the Nice Girl before he turned his attention to the man of straw and scowled at him. "You no hit. Hit us again, we take apart. Not like getting hit," the Winged Monkey grunted at the Scarecrow.

"I'm not going to hit you. That was to protect Dorothy, I have no problem with you and yours beyond that," the Scarecrow responded to the warning.

"Is that why they were so rough with him? Because he was the only one that got a solid strike in against them last time?" the Tin Man asked the Lion.

"Makes sense. In the jungle you always try to eliminate a threat if you can when it's too close to your den. Otherwise you have to move on to protect yourself and the rest of the pride," the Lion replied with a nod.

With his messages delivered, Chistery gave a snort before disappearing back into the Dark Forest to report that he had made contact and that they would be waiting for them.

It was a good hour and a half later before the quartet was made aware of sounds coming from the forest's edge, followed by the emergence of a familiarly suited man and a green skinned woman dressed all in black. "Uncle Oscar!" Dorothy exclaimed before running up and hugging the man in question for all she was worth.

"Hey there, kid. I told you I had a plan," Oscar said as he returned the hug.

"Some plan. You're lucky I seem to have taken leave of my senses. Nothing more," Theodora sniped at the man, unwilling to watch as that little Glinda-clone hugged the Wizard. Just the sight of it sickened her to no end. She was wholly shocked, then, when she felt a pair of small hands take her by her right hand. She looked back to see the wretched Farm girl clutching her with hopeful eyes and a wide smile that made Theodora very uncomfortable.

"Oh Miss Theodora, I'm so happy you're coming with us. I _knew_ you weren't wicked deep down. I just knew it," Dorothy said with such honest conviction that it left Theodora at a loss for words.

Honestly, what was it about this place Kansas that bred people like Oscar and Dorothy that could have such faith in Theodora after her transformation when her own people had written her off long before she ever fell into Wickedness? Perhaps, one day after she was cured and she had settled her quarrels with Glinda, she could go to see that magical place? It must hold wonders to produce such extraordinary people.


	13. Chapter 12

The trip back to the Emerald City did in fact take well until nightfall, which worked fine for Oscar as far as avoiding either himself or Theodora being seen by anyone that would ask inconvenient questions went. Things went like proverbial clockwork as he led her into the Palace proper through the hidden passageways that predated even the reign of King Pastoria by longer than anyone would care to speculate.

For the majority of the trip, Theodora kept her thoughts to herself, minus taking opportunities to snipe at the Wizard or call him a fool for trusting her. She still couldn't understand just why he seemed to intent on trying to help her. Although she supposed his reasons didn't much matter as long as the result was the same. The idea of having her heart restored, of feeling happiness or joy one more, was too tempting for her to pass up. Besides, it gave her a chance to confront Glinda and air out decades of "family business" between them. Business that predated Oscar's arrival in Oz by several years.

"So how does it feel to be back?" Oscar asked as they made their way through the deserted halls of the private chambers of the Royal Palace.

"Odd. And quiet," Theodora curtly replied. It was true, too. The nature of Oz hiding that he still had a human body (miserable liar, if he only knew how she agonized over the fact it was all her fault he became so powerful) meant that there were not the plethora of servants to the throne there milling about at all hours to take care of things. It still felt odd to think about the fact that that Knuck was dead and buried. He should be there, waiting to play a fanfare for the Wizard's arrival, not in the cold ground someplace.

"We still have to have people in to clean obviously, mostly Quadlings that helped with the siege of the City originally, or their descendants. They won't bother you, though. I made sure they knew you might be here and they are nothing if not discreet," Oz explained.

"Good," Theodora agreed, unwilling to show how nervous being in the Palace made her. This had been her home for her entire childhood, and yet she felt more like an intruder here than she ever had in Kiamo Ko. It was as if the giant emeralds and green marble on every surface was mocking her with their splendor and reminding her just how ugly her own green flesh really was.

"Uncle Oscar, what will happen now?" Dorothy asked after a moment.

"Well, first thing is first, I think we could all use a good night's rest. Dorothy, you and your friends can use the same rooms you used when you were last here if you prefer. And Theodora, well other than being dusted, your old chambers haven't really been touched. They're still yours if you want them. If not, I could arrange another room for you," Oscar offered.

"That's fine," Theodora replied with a shrug. She didn't want to make a fuss. To mention that the last time she had been in that room it was to weep over the Wizard after he… no. After Evanora LIED to her about his actions. That was still a bitter pill to swallow for her but it was sadly all too in character for her older sister when she stopped to think about it. And lately it seemed like all she had the time to do was think. She tried to push the rather maudlin thoughts away as she thought to herself, _I wonder if they ever bothered to replace the mirror?"_

Oscar made sure Dorothy was settled in Anna's room and the Lion in one of the rarely used guest rooms before he walked Theodora back to her chambers. Finley had graciously decided to share his own quarters, ones much too big for such a small Monkey, with Nikko, Chistery, and Treackle.

"I do remember how to get there, you know," she told him as they moved through the darkened halls. "I lived here even longer than you have."

"I can't leave a lady unescorted. It was be… un-wizardly of me," Oscar teased back with a wide smile.

"I haven't been called a lady in a very long time, Wizard," Theodora shot back.

"Just because people weren't saying it doesn't make it any more or less true, Theodora," Oscar responded.

Once the pair were finally in her old room, Theodora spun on Oz and pointed her finger threateningly at him as she demanded, "Okay, Wizard. What's you game?"

Oscar looked genuinely confused as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean all this. Offering to help me, taking me back into the Palace, calling me a _lady._ You have to want something for all of this and I can't begin to imagine what it would be. It's not like you could want me physically as repulsive as I am right now, so what do you want from me?" Theodora snapped angrily.

"Theodora, I don't want anything from you," Oscar began.

"Don't give me that. I know better. I'm not the naive little witch I was when we first met. You don't get something for nothing in this world, Wizard. I learned that lesson all too well. Now what is it you want? You didn't go to all this trouble for nothing," Theodora insisted.

"Well there is one thing," Oscar replied reluctantly as he looked at his feet.

"I knew it," Theodora growled angrily, somehow disappointed in Oz despite expecting something like this. "Well what is it?" she demanded.

"Use my name," Oscar answered with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"What?" Theodora asked in confusion.

"You always call me 'Wizard.' You always have. I want you to call me Oscar," he responded seriously.

"Why would you want something like that from me?" Theodora asked, bewildered by the very notion.

"Theodora, I'm the Wizard to everyone in Oz. The only people that know Oscar Diggs can be counted on one hand and have fingers left. And that's including Dorothy. Is it really so hard to imagine I want to help someone that remembers me as a person and not some mythical ruler? That I want one more person in the world to know Oscar and not just the Wizard of Oz?" Oscar asked earnestly.

It was something Theodora could understand. Loneliness. Standing isolated from others because of what you were. It was something she understood far too well. Still, it couldn't be that simple. After all, the Wizard still had Glinda even if he had been telling the truth and there wasn't any more romance between them. Why would he want her there to help him in his isolation? "What else? What you're offering is too much. There has to be something else," she insisted.

"Theodora, I'm the one that did wrong by you. You don't have to pay me for trying to repay some of what I did. It doesn't work like that," Oscar told her as he put a hand gently on her shoulder.

Theodora narrowed her eyes at Oz, studying his face for any sign of deception. She didn't find any, but she knew better than to think that he couldn't hide his intentions from her. "Alright, Oscar. I suppose that's good enough. For now," she conceded with a small sneer of disdain.

Oscar gave her that smarmy grin that once made her knees weak and Theodora had to restrain herself from growling at him and he had the nerve to say, "Thank you." Imagine _him_ thanking _her. _It quite literally boggled the mind.

The pair started at each other in a somewhat awkward silence before Oscar's face lit up like a child's as he exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot," and took out a red handkerchief from his jacket and placed it over his right hand.

"I've seen this trick before, you know," Theodora commented sardonically with a roll of her eyes.

"Hush you," Oscar playfully admonished as he pulled the cloth back with a flourish to reveal the very music box he had given to Theodora all those years ago. "Like I said, I brought it with me, but I think it still belongs here, with you. It is yours, after all," he added gently.

"I've _really_ seen this trick before," Theodora groused even as she claimed the box from him and cradled it against herself unconsciously.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to get some rest. Um, Glinda should be here for breakfast if you think you're ready to see her so soon. I imagine you want us to work on helping you as soon as possible," Oscar offered.

Theodora's eyes narrowed and her face broke into a less than pleasant grin as she replied, "Oh, I am very ready to see dear Glinda. I'll be there Oscar. You can count on it."

For his part, the Wizard just tried to dismiss the chill going down his spine as he replied, "I'll see you there, then. Say seven-ish?" before departing for his own chambers.

Theodora watched him go before locking the door to her chamber and settling in. She did note that they had, in fact, replaced her dresser mirror and straightened up but the room was fairly untouched beyond that. Which made sense. Unlike Evanora, Theodora had never preferred to use her bedchambers as her workspace. She rarely kept so much as a rudimentary spellbook in her own quarters, so there would have been nothing of value to use against her there for anyone to find with the exception of the music box still in her arms. She placed it gently on the dresser and opened it. Even after twenty years it still worked perfectly as it played its haunting little memory. Theodora reached out with a lone black-taloned finger and stroked the dancing couple on the spring contemplatively before growing irritated with herself and closing the box.

There was no place in her life for thoughts like the ones the music box evoked in her. She was all but a monster now, and even if she could be cured the pains of the past would not simply go away. She needed to put such thoughts out of her mind. It was for the best.

* * *

Morning came to find the same group at the breakfast table as had assembled before the journey, along with the inclusion of Finley who was enjoying a few bananas and nuts.

"Uncle Oscar, will Miss Theodora be joining us for breakfast?" Dorothy inquired as they settled in.

"I told her breakfast was around seven so she should be here soon if she's feeling up to it," Oscar replied with a reassuring smile at Annie's Girl.

The attention of the assembled group was brought to the entrance to the breakfast nook as a bright voice declared a relieved "Oscar!" for everyone to hear.

Oscar felt a smile lighting his face as he stood and returned "Glinda!" as he got up to meet the Good Witch of the South in a warm hug.

As the two embraced, Dorothy did all she could to study the woman's features and had to agree that they did greatly resemble pictures she had seen of her mother in her youth. In all honesty, with losing her at the age of five, Dorothy had a bit of a hard time recalling what she looked like beyond seeing her waste away from her illness. She supposed that's why she didn't associate someone as vibrant and alive as Miss Glinda as looking like her mother when she met her.

"I was so glad to hear that everyone got back safely," Glinda said as the two broke apart and she took a moment to look at those assembled at the table. Her eyes widened as she noted the familiar Winged Monkey there, even if he was dressed in a different uniform. "Finley?" she asked uncertainly.

Finley's face lit up as he flew over and hugged the blond with a happy "Glinda!" of his own. "It's great to see you," he added happily.

"And you as well, my friend. We feared the worst when you vanished after going to check on the Winged Monkeys that had sided with the Wicked Witch of the West," Glinda responded. She was somewhat confused when her reply earned her admonishing scowls from not only Oscar, but from Finley, Dorothy, and the Tin Man as well.

"Don't call her that, Glinda. Theodora doesn't deserve it," Finley said sternly.

"I… I'm sorry Finley. It's something of a habit now. It's hard for me to think of her as Theodora after all that's happened," Glinda replied.

"Well I had a long time to see her first hand and I can tell you that she is still Theodora under that different skin. She's upset and angry, but it's still her. If the rest of us had listened to Oz in the first place we might have found that out sooner," Finley explained with a grim expression.

"My apologies," Glinda graciously replied.

"Oh my, _dear Sister_, don't apologize. Feel free to let everyone hear what you really think," another voice interjected from behind Glinda.

"Theodora," Glinda said with a stern look expression as she reflexively went for her wand.

For her part Theodora just stood there in a simple black frock, her hat on as usual to tame her rather wild hair, with her hands on her hips and a cold sneer on her face. At her sides, Nikko, Chistery, and Treackle stood at the ready to defend their Mistress.

The two witches stared at each other in tense silence for several moments before Oscar tried to break the tension with a halfhearted, "Um, surprise."


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** Okay now we're getting into some of the nitty gritty of things. I own none of the characters here in any way. I make no money from this. Please don't sue.

* * *

"What's the matter Glinda? I thought you were well aware that Oscar was going to come speak with me?" Theodora asked with a half smirk as she sauntered toward the Good Witch of the South.

"Nothing's the matter, Theodora. I just didn't think you would actually come. I guess I was the one underestimating the Wizard this time," Glinda responded in a clipped tone, clearly less than thrilled to see the green woman again so soon after their encounter in Munchkin Country during Dorothy's arrival.

"Yes, well, you've never been all that good at noticing what was going on around you if you weren't directly involved were you, my… pretty one?" Theodora mockingly asked before moving past Glinda to take a seat beside Dorothy.

"Miss Theodora, you never said you and Miss Glinda were sisters too," Dorothy blurted out in shock as the Witch of the West seated herself at the breakfast table.

"Half-sisters, actually. Evanora, Glinda, and I all shared the same father but different mothers. Evanora's mother was from Ev, and she spent her early childhood there before joining Father here, Glinda's mother was from Gilliken, even though Glinda was given dominion over Quadling Country instead, and my mother was a minor noble from Munchkin Country. Father had quite a taste for the ladies. I suppose it really is true what they say about a woman seeking out a man like her father," Theodora explained with a sidelong glance at Oscar before turning her attention fully back to Glinda.

"You make it sound so… sordid," Glinda groused with a sniff.

"Oh yes, I forgot that the fact Father had the presence of mind to marry your mother and then mine to avoid a scandal because he finally had the crown he lacked when he chased Evanora's mother and that somehow made what he did more socially acceptable than normal. Silly me. But what do I know? My mother was the village trollop of the Emerald City. Isn't that how your little friends in court used to refer to her, elder sister?" Theodora asked with faux innocence.

"They never accused Melena of anything she hadn't done, Theodora. And father was devastated over it," Glinda defended with narrowed eyes.

Theodora looked at Glinda for a long moment before she broke out into a wicked cackle that made most of the people in the room jump in shock. "Oh that is a good one, Glinda. You actually had the nerve to claim he cared about my mother at all. Or rather, as if he ever cared about her beyond using her to pop out a potential spare heir to the throne since Evanora's foreign birth and upbringing disqualified her. And here I thought Evanora had been the master of emotional manipulation in the family. Well done" Theodora congratulated.

Glinda fumed as he face grew flushed and she spat, "That isn't true. Father cared. He-"

"Wanted a politically advantageous piece of fluff after your mother died giving birth to you," Theodora interrupted. "Don't patronize either of us pretending otherwise. Had he lived he probably would have started looking for a third wife to replace my mother and pop out another spare since I was so unpopular among the people here to begin with."

"Why are you making such an effort to antagonize me, Theodora?" Glinda said after taking a breath to regroup and prevent herself from saying something she would regret. Particularly in front of a young child.

"I wasn't aware telling the truth could be so hurtful. I always thought it was the better path to take," Theodora sniffed disinterestedly.

Oscar interjected at that point by clearing his throat loudly to gain the full attention of the room. "Um, wow. Okay. Uh, Glinda, do you mind joining me in the throne room antechamber for a moment? There are a few things I'd like to go over with you since we kind of, you know, _need your help_," Oscar stressed with a sidelong look at Theodora before returning his attention to Glinda, "to figure out how to reverse the spell Evanora cast of Theodora and restore her heart. Dorothy, Theodora, guys, will you be alright here for a minute or two?"

"Oh we'll be just fine, Oscar. Take your time," Theodora replied with a devilish grin.

"It's okay Uncle Oscar. I don't mind spending time with Miss Theodora at all," Dorothy replied with a strained smile.

"Great. We'll be back before you know it," Oscar replied before taking Glinda by the arm and moving her out of the room.

"Um so… Miss Theodora, your mother was the Lady Melena from Munchkin Country originally? I think my father used to chop wood for your grandparents," The Tin Man said finally to break the awkward silence that settled after the Wizard's departure.

* * *

"Oh, that _woman," _Glinda exclaimed in exasperation once she and Oscar were in the privacy of the antechamber. "And how can you just trust her there with the girl like that? Oscar, she's dangerous."

"Glinda, calm down. And if you had seen what I did you would trust her too. She's here of her own free will. She wants to get better. And if we don't trust her then I get the feeling that breaking Evanora's curse won't be enough for that to happen," Oscar replied with his hands raised in supplication.

"And did you hear what she said about our Father? As if he was some common lecher that was chasing women across the kingdom. He loved us all as deeply as he could. Where does she get off even saying something like that?" Glinda continued to rant without pausing to acknowledge his words.

"Glinda!" Oscar shouted, finally catching her full attention. "You need to calm down."

"But Oscar, the way she was talking…" Glinda insisted.

"Is probably what she really believes whether it's true or not, Glinda. Look, Finley and I had some time to talk before Theodora and I confronted each other and, well, there are reasons she has a very grim view of the world. I'm not saying that I agree or that it's the truth, just that it's the truth as she sees it at this point," Oscar tried to explain.

Glinda made a visible effort to calm herself before she coolly asked, "Care to clear that one up a bit?"

Oscar sighed and looked at his feet in contemplation before he looked up with pained eyes and said, "Let's just say that Evanora did more to fool with Theodora's mind than cast the spell that made her green. And it looked to Finley like she was doing it well before I ever came to Oz."

A look of dawning horror crossed Glinda's face a she said, "You can't be serious. I mean, Evanora practically raised Theodora after her mother was cast out for her infidelity."

"Yeah, and somehow looking back, I can't see where the Wicked Witch of the East having free reign to raise anyone would a healthy way to grow up. Do you really think it was somehow beyond Evanora to manipulate her little sister even worse than we expected?" Oscar challenged.

Glinda closed her eyes and bit back tears as she sat heavily at the desk and lamented, "I never suspected. I mean she always watched over Theodora. I should have seen."

"I don't think anyone saw it until the Winged Monkeys, of all people, got a good demonstration of her pulling the same types of manipulations even after their exile," Oscar said as he moved to put his hand on her shoulder and comfort her a bit.

They stayed like that for a while before Glinda remembered something Oscar had said earlier and she asked, "Oscar, what did you mean when you said we needed to restore Theodora's heart?"

Oscar's face held a grim expression as he explained, "Dorothy managed to get Theodora to describe the spell that transformed her in a moment of rage. Apparently Evanora somehow convinced Theodora that I had tried to seduce her the night before I left before getting her to believe I was doing the same with you. And while Theodora was heartbroken, she offered her a way to make the pain stop. She apparently gave her a green apple that was supposed to take away her pain. She just neglected to mention that it would make her heart wither away entirely until after Theodora bit into it."

"No. Not even Evanora could do something so heinous. Such magics aren't even used in all of Oz. I mean, there a few of the worst of the worst in the outlying lands beyond the desserts like in Ev, but she couldn't. Not to her own sister," Glinda denied painfully.

"I just know what Theodora described that I happened to eavesdrop on, Glinda. Now we need to start looking through Evanora's personal effects to try to find the spell and maybe figure out a way to reverse it. I mean if it's something so exotic she wouldn't have just had it handy, right? She would have had to have notes or a copy of the full spell somewhere to prepare it," Oscar responded with a note of hope in his voice.

"Yes. Yes something like this would have been beyond her normal magics. She would have needed references, ingredient lists, all sorts of things. Knowing what we do we can find it and reverse it. I'm certain of it," Glinda replied with an air of determination. "I will reverse this… abomination, Oscar. I swear I will."

"Well that's a load off my mind. I really think Theodora would run off in the night if she didn't think we could help her," Oscar said with a heavy sigh.

Glinda smiled mirthlessly for a bit before she asked, "How ever did you get her to come back? I… even if she wanted to I would have thought there was too much bad blood between us for her to make the attempt."

Oscar looked sadly toward the closed door, as if trying to peer all the way back the breakfast nook to see Theodora and Dorothy eating together, as he replied, "She gave up, Glinda."

"Gave up? What do you mean? She just surrendered herself to you?" Glinda asked.

"No. She tried to get those stupid Shoes from Dorothy before I arrived, but she didn't seem to try to hurt her at all. Scare her into giving up the Shoes maybe, but she wasn't really pulling out all the stops. I don't think her heart was in the whole mess at all, to tell you the truth. Not with Evanora dead. But when I mean she gave up, I mean she wanted me to kill her. I could see it in her eyes when I confronted her. She wanted out, no matter what it cost," Oscar explained.

"No. Theodora would never. I mean her determination was the only thing more fiery than her temper when we were younger," Glinda replied with a frightened look. It actually shocked her a bit how painful the thought of loosing Theodora was in comparison to the loss of Evanora. After all, it wasn't like Glinda and Theodora had been all that close growing up despite being sisters. That had always been more of Evanora's place rather than Glinda's.

"I wouldn't lie about something like that, Glinda. You know that," Oscar said with a pained look.

"Oh Lurline. But you obviously got through to her. I mean she's here. She wants to be cured," Glinda said hopefully.

"Oh I got her here. Took the craziest chances of my life but I got through to her somehow. She's willing to look for a cure now, at least. And she's not a heartless as she thinks. Either Evanora's spell didn't do what she thought or it wasn't strong enough to destroy Theodora completely," Oscar agreed with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Glinda asked, bewildered at his words.

"After it was all said and done she cried, Glinda. Even with her water allergy, and thanks for never mentioning that by the way, she still shed a tear. Heartless people don't cry over losing loved ones. They don't care that the only person they thought they could trust betrayed them. There's good in her. There's also a lot of anger at us and self-loathing Evanora did her best to heap on her to help hide it, but it's there. And that's what we need to get to while we help find the cure. Probably after, too. We just have to be patient with her, that's all," Oscar counseled.

Glinda watched the Wizard with a sense of amazement before she shook her head and asked, "How did you ever get so good at reading people?"

Oscar shrugged as he replied, "I'm a con man, remember? A shameless trickster. Reading people kind of comes with the job if you're any good at it."

"You're more than a simple con man, Oscar Diggs. You always were. That's why we have the chance to save my little sister at all. And I am forever thankful for whatever brought you to us," Glinda replied before getting up and embracing Oscar in a warm hug.

* * *

Once Oscar and Glinda had finished their private conversation, one that set Theodora's teeth on edge whether she would own up to it or not, they returned to the breakfast nook to find that the food had already been delivered.

Theodora chose to remain silent upon their arrival and concentrate on her food. She had all kinds of mental images of just what Oscar might have been doing to "calm" Glinda and the thoughts would have made her green even without her unusual pigmentation.

"Uncle Oscar, Miss Glinda, welcome back!" Dorothy greeted brightly as she passed some scrambled eggs to the Theodora.

"Hey Dorothy. I see we weren't too late to eat," Oscar affably responded.

Glinda moved purposefully to take a seat opposite Theodora and studied her face for a time. Despite the green color, more pronounced and unnatural chin and nose, and rather… off eyebrows Theodora was still stunning. Her large eyes still drew people in immediately even if they were now red-flecked yellow instead of the deep brown they once were. Glinda had always thought Theodora's eyes had been her best feature before and it was odd to see them so similar and yet so different from what she remembered.

"What?" Theodora finally snapped, less than thrilled with being examined so closely by the Witch of the South.

"Oscar told me what he knew of the spell Evanora used on you. If you are interested, after breakfast I'd like to talk to you more about it. Perhaps have you show me where the transformation took place. It might help in figuring out how to break the spell and make you whole again," Glinda offered.

Theodora looked like she wanted to refuse the request out of spite if nothing else, but when she looked away from Glinda in indignation she made the mistake of looking toward Dorothy. The sight of the naked hope in her eyes made Theodora more than a bit uncomfortable. She tried to escape that look by glancing around the table and found similar encouraging and hopeful looks on the faces of all of the Winged Monkeys, the Tin Man, and even the Scarecrow and the Lion. She felt more than a little ganged up on as she folded her arms over her chest self consciously and grumbled, "That's fine. Whatever it takes to get this over with."

Glinda smiled beatifically at her younger sister before turning her attention to her plate as he replied, "Thank you, Theodora."

"Don't make the mistake of thinking that matters between us will be settled with this, Glinda," Theodora warned with narrowed eyes.

"I would expect nothing less, Theodora. But it's a start. And that's something," Glinda replied calmly.

Theodora found herself at a loss for words at that reply and chose to focus on her food instead. Still, part of her had to wonder at just how things would turn out between them in the future? For now she would focus on reversing Evanora's spell. She could worry about dealing with her problems with Glinda at a later date.


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** Yes, there are more Wicked references in this chapter. I just can't help myself it seems. As usual, I don't own anything. I'm not writing this for profit. Please don't sue me.

* * *

Theodora would never admit it, but she ate noticeably slower during breakfast than what was normal for her as a way of stalling against the situation she found herself in once the meal concluded. Not only was she back in Evanora's chambers, the very place her life had started to become a living Hell, but she was there alone with Glinda of all people. Glinda. If you added those twittering idiots Pfanee, Milla, and Shenshen that used to hang around Glinda when Theodora had been a teenager then it would have been straight out of a few nightmares Theodora had in the past.

Theodora surveyed the sitting room in Evanora's chambers and looked almost regretfully at the marble-topped table set in front of the fireplace. Theodora's claw marks were still there as a permanent reminder of the… thing she had become. A thing Evanora has apparently manipulated her into becoming. It was a sobering thought.

"Now, Theodora, what can you tell me about what happened? Please describe it in detail for me," Glinda asked, taking Theodora's attention away from the furniture.

"What is there to tell? Evanora had told me that the Wizard had come to her chambers and seduced her like he had me on the way to the Emerald City. I fled to my rooms and wept. Later I came back here and watched him smiling side by side with you as he moved through the Quadlings on her crystal ball. Then when she returned I asked…" Theodora began, only to stop and close her eyes at the painful memory.

"Yes?" Glinda prodded gently.

"I asked Evanora if she thought Oscar would make you his Queen? She said he would, that nobody could compete with your charms. I cried again and the tears burned my face. I moaned in pain and Evanora said that 'Such was the pain of a broken heart.' I begged her to make it stop. She grew eager, excited almost, as she asked me if I really wanted her to. Then she had me stay here in the sitting room to wait for her. When she returned she had the apple with her and presented it to me. She said eating it would make my heart impenetrable and that we would finally be able to rule side by side," Theodora continued as she moved to look at the couch where she had been sitting.

It took a great effort on Glinda's part not to recoil in horror at several points in the tale. For instance, she had a feeling that she and Oscar would be having some rather heated words about what he and Theodora had been up to as she led him to the Emerald City for the first time if she was hearing things right.

"I hesitated as I took the apple in hand. Evanora taunted me, asking me if I would rather see you and Oscar on the throne together instead and I immediately took a bite. For a moment, it was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes as I realized that Evanora was the wicked one instead of you. I accused her of her crimes and she looked so _proud_ of herself as she nodded in agreement as she said something about how clear everything becomes. Then the pain started in my chest. It was awful; worse than anything I had ever felt. It was like I couldn't breathe and someone had put a great lead weight in my chest all at once. I tore off my bodice to try to make it easier to breathe as I stumbled around the room clutching my chest. I demanded to know what Evanora did and she laughed as she told me not to worry. It was just my heart withering away to nothing and soon all I would be able to feel was wonderful wickedness. I collapsed there, on the floor in front of the fireplace," Theodora said as she moved to the location in question.

"Finally, the pain subsided and I was filled with a rage like none I had ever known. I reached up onto the table to lift myself up and my nails drew deep gouges in the marble. Evanora sounded amused as she said I was hideous now and offered to craft an illusion to hide my new features. I refused. I wanted all of Oz to see me as I was. I wanted the Wizard to see what his philandering had made of me. I used my magic to transform the red hat I wore out into the one I wear now and used it to control my hair since it was writhing like a pit of serpents. I told Evanora that I wanted the Wizard to see what he made me into and I laughed. I laughed in the face of the pain in a heart I no longer had. You know the rest. I used my power to rocket myself to Quadling Country to confront **you **and the Wizard," Theodora finished with a scowl at her half-sister.

"I remember. I was so shocked you were able to breach my barrier. I knew Evanora wasn't powerful enough to do that herself. Now, I can't help but wonder if there was another factor at work?" Glinda responded with a thoughtful expression.

"What do you mean?" Theodora asked with narrowed eyes.

"Even though the barrier fell completely after you broke through you still got through it with frightening swiftness. It was rigged so that only those with good and pure hearts could pass through it. In fact, Oscar was quite certain he was going to fail to get through it when I brought him here to escape the winged baboons and Winkies Evanora had sent to kill us. Given how certain he and Finley are that you still have a good heart even now, I wonder if you simply had a harder time passing through the spell similar to Oscar's troubles due to your transformation rather than being stopped altogether before you overpowered it? I know you have the most raw power out of us all, but even you should have had a more difficult time breaking the barrier," Glinda explained.

Theodora recoiled a bit at Glinda's explanation before she scoffed and replied, "Spare me your little ego trips. We all know Evanora was more powerful than I ever was. At least she was before you broke her focusing gem."

Glinda looked thoroughly shocked at Theodora's words as she asked, "Evanora was the most powerful? Theodora, where ever would you get a notion like that? She was the least powerful of the three of us. That was why she had to resort to framing me for Father's death to get me out of the city. Contrary to her own ego she lacked the power to defeat me outright, and you are more powerful than me by a wider margin than I was ahead of Evanora."

"Don't be ridiculous. My powers were unrefined and weak. Even with my emotions sealed away they paled in comparison to Evanora's," Theodora denied.

Glinda looked on sadly as even now Theodora put their elder sister on some kind of mental pedestal. It seemed Oscar was all too right in his assessment of how Evanora had toyed with Theodora's mind over the years. "Well, it's not something really worth arguing about in any case, is it? The important thing is that now that I know what was done, we should be able to search through Evanora's spell books and find a way to reverse the enchantment," Glinda said finally in an attempt to make peace.

"Don't give me that look, Glinda," Theodora spat in indignation at the expression on the Good Witch of the South's face.

"What look?" Glinda asked innocently.

"That pitying look. Just like the one you gave me when my mother was banished. I came here to get Evanora's spell lifted. I didn't come here to be gawked at and pitied by the likes of you," Theodora growled.

"I can't show concern for my younger sister?" Glinda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why start now? You've made a lifetime out of loathing me up to this point. Admit it, every little trait, however small, made your flesh begin to crawl as you looked at me growing up. I could always see the disgust on your face. Just like with those friends of yours," Theodora snorted in contempt.

"I never loathed you in any way, Theodora. We weren't as close as some sisters growing up, I'll admit, but loathing is a bit strong to describe what was between us. And let's be honest, Lady Melena was not all that motherly toward either of us. She seemed quite happy to make her own life for herself once you were old enough to be put in the nanny's care.

"Yes, yes. Busy being the whore of the Emerald City. I recall hearing all about it vividly growing up. How no man could risk going near me because I would turn out like her anyway. How deep down I was wicked inside and my water allergy proved it. How someday I would lose control of myself and decide to burn someone to a cinder. This is hardly anything new," Theodora dismissed with a roll of her eyes.

"Theodora who would ever say those kinds of awful things to you?" Glinda demanded, upset to hear her sister demean herself in such as a way.

Theodora cackled a bit at Glinda's irate expression as she answered, "You'd have a shorter list asking who didn't. Most of the royal court said it in some form on more than one occasion. Even Evanora used to warn me that I was wicked deep down. I think Knuck and the Winkies were the only ones I never heard saying it. But then again, I suppose you and father would've had to have realized I was even alive to notice what anyone said to me. But I think he was a little too busy grooming you to be his heir to remember he had a third daughter by his promiscuous trollop of a second wife."

"Theodora, father may have been busy running all of Oz, but he cared for you deeply. Even under this curse you have to know that," Glinda insisted.

"If I couldn't believe it when I had a heart to help me delude myself, why would I start believing it now when my lack of one makes everything so much clearer?" Theodora sneered with narrowed eyes.

_Don't snap at her Glinda. It's like Oscar said, just because this is what she believes doesn't make it completely true. You need to stay calm. Sometimes these things are just sent to try us,_ Glinda thought to herself as she reigned in her temper. "If that's what you choose to believe then I know I can't convince you otherwise, sister. For now it might be better to just concentrate on locating and reversing Evanora's spell," Glinda offered before making her way toward the room where Evanora kept her workspace. It was time to do the research needed to correct one of her eldest sister's mistakes.

* * *

As Glinda and Theodora worked to discover what had been behind Evanora's spell, Oscar was taking the time to show Dorothy and her friends the inner workings of the modified praxinoscope he used to create his giant head illusion. Of course, for the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow it still seemed like real magic although Dorothy understood that it was science, even if it was something a bit technical for her to understand at the tender age of twelve.

"It certainly is a clever device, Uncle Oscar," the girl praised as she marveled at the projected image on the rising cloud of smoke.

"I'll say. Why I could never begin to imagine how to project images like that," the Scarecrow commented.

"Oh, but that's a wonderfully popular form of entertainment back home in Kansas. Why they even have a cinema in town now. Although the performances aren't at all live. They use special kinds of cameras to show moving pictures up on a large screen. Uncle Henry has taken me to see a couple of Westerns when we had the time," Dorothy explained.

"Really?" Oscar asked, his interests in both technology and entertainment piqued. "Moving picture films, eh? Why I remember those were just being talked about when I came here back in '05. There were kinetoscopes, of course, but projected films were still a brand new thing. Nobody was sure if they would take off."

"Oh yes, Uncle Oscar. Almost every decent sized town has a cinema now. Why I even heard some people in town talking about how it might not be that long before they have sound in the pictures. Can you imagine, talking pictures just like you were there live to see it?" Dorothy informed him with wide-eyed wonder.

"It sounds like I've missed quite a bit. But maybe, once things with Theodora are a little more squared away, I could try to find a way to see some of those advances when I get you home to your Aunt and Uncle?" Oscar offered with a smile.

Dorothy's face lit up in joy as she asked, "Oh, do you mean it, Uncle Oscar? Would you really come back to Kansas?"

"Well, I'd like to visit at least if I could find a way to get us there. Oz is my home now, Dorothy. It's where I belong. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to at least see Kansas one more time. And I did say I would do what I can to get you home once Theodora was saved," Oscar replied warmly as he was met with an enthusiastic hug from the child. As Dorothy hugged him he silently hoped to himself that he wasn't making another promise that he had no way of fulfilling. After all, his last resort was his repaired original balloon, not to be confused with the one the Master Tinker made that Theodora had destroyed years ago. He supposed if all else failed he could try to somehow fly Dorothy home. He just hoped there was a more reliable and less permanent option that would make itself known first.


	16. Chapter 15

Glinda and Theodora worked through lunch going through the various tomes that Evanora had collected with little actual success in finding the spell Evanora had used before meeting the others for supper. "Don't worry Theodora. I promise you we'll find the spell and break it. It will just take a bit of time," Glinda comforted as the pair entered the dining room.

"I know. Quit hovering," Theodora snapped, tired of the compassionate reactions from Glinda. "I'm not some naive little girl Glinda. I can afford to wait to get what I need."

"I take it the search is going slowly, then?" Oscar asked, gaining the attention of both witches simultaneously.

"Yes. Apparently Evanora wasn't the type to carefully label a single grimmorie with 'forbidden evil spells here, please read this to thwart me' before she was forced from the Palace," Theodora sarcastically replied.

"More is the pity. You would think a former royal adviser would be more organized," Oscar quipped with a smile, which earned him a small giggle from Dorothy.

"Oscar, that was awful," Glinda chided as the two Watches moved to take their places at the table. Glinda did her best to hide her smile as the Winged Monkeys moved to pull out Theodora's chair for her and generally fussed over her, much to the green woman's irritation.

"I said I'm fine, Chistery. I can take care of myself. I'm not helpless," Theodora scolded quietly as Treakle moved to announce that everyone was there and the meal could be served.

Glinda felt a bit of a pang at seeing the Winged Monkeys, creatures forced into Theodora's service by the magic of the Golden Cap, treating her younger sister with more care and concern than many people did in Theodora's youth. It was a stark reminder of what Theodora had pointed out to her earlier that day. She hoped at some point that she might become as close to Theodora as her "servants" were. It also brought to mind something _else_ Theodora had mentioned that day.

"Oscar?" Glinda inquired in a deceptively neutral tone.

"Yes, Glinda?" the Wizard replied amiably as he looked over the fare that had been delivered for supper.

"I need to speak to you after we're done eating. We have a few things I need to clear up," Glinda calmly replied.

Oscar tried to figure out what it was about the rather innocuous request that sent a chill up his spine even as he responded, "That's fine Glinda. We can head to the study if you like."

"That will be fine. Theodora, do you think you could give Dorothy a bit of a tour of the Palace? Even after all these years I think you would know it as well as anyone," Glinda asked sweetly.

Theodora knew Glinda well enough to understand that she was bottling up her anger rather than unleashing it in public and chose to take the path of least resistance for a change as she muttered a low, "Fine." She wondered idly what had upset Glinda so, but figured that as long as the Good Witch of the South was upset she could accept a bit of a mystery.

* * *

"Okay, Glinda, now what did you need to speak to me about?" Oscar asked once supper was finished and the pair had retired to the Wizard's study.

Needless to say he was more than a little confused when the response he go was a resounding slap from out of nowhere.

"Okay, ow. What the heck was that for?" Oscar asked as he shook his head and cradled his cheek in shock.

"Would you care to tell me exactly what you and Theodora got up to on your way to the Emerald City when she first found you, Wizard?" Glinda asked in response with a flinty look in her eyes as she crossed her arms and glared at Oscar.

Oscar seemed confused for a moment before realization dawned and he said, "Oh."

"Oh? Oh!? That's all you have to say for yourself? You sleep with my _sister_ one day after meeting her and all you can say is, 'oh?' Why I should… should turn you into a newt or something. It might be an improvement," Glinda roared at the man.

"Now Glinda calm down," Oscar said as he backed away from the irate Witch of the South.

"Don't you tell me to calm down, Oscar Diggs. Do you have any concept of what you did to her?" Glinda shot back angrily.

"Yes, I do. That's part of the reason I've been trying for twenty years to get you to help me cure her, Glinda. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm just as much at fault for what happened to her as Evanora was. The only difference between us was that I had no idea at the time what I was doing," Oscar explained.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Glinda demanded with a fierce scowl.

"Look you know I was a bit of a ladies' man when I came to Oz. I never made a secret of that. And honestly, Theodora was one of the most beautiful women I had ever met. We had escaped from Evanora's winged baboons earlier in the day and were camping by a fire to rest for the night. I had a music box with me and gave it to her to liven up the evening. I didn't even think she was serious when she told me nobody had ever asked her to dance before or given her a gift just because they wanted to. I mean she was sweet, and kind, and beautiful. I thought she was just playing coy. Women tended to do things like that back home," Oscar recalled. "We danced, and I pulled her to me and we kissed. And then one thing led to another. I didn't realize how… innocent she was until she started talking about how we were meant to be together and how she would be honored to be my Queen the next day after we rescued Finley."

"So she was just some easy conquest of yours that you regretted later. Is that it?" Glinda demanded.

"No! I liked Theodora. I really did. I mean she was a little clingier than I expected but she was still as nice a girl as I had ever met. When Evanora told me that I had to leave right away instead of saying goodbye to her I felt bad about it. But I figured she could do better than me anyway and someone like her would have suitors lined up around the block to court her," Oscar defended.

Glinda watched Oscar in stony silence for a time before she asked, "Evanora told you not to say goodbye to her before coming to destroy me?"

"Yes. She said she would tell Theodora how much I loved her if I liked, which scared the bejeezus out of me and I told her not to because I didn't want to lead Theodora on any further, but Finley and I left like we were told the next morning at first light," Oscar explained.

"Was this before or after you seduced Evanora, too?" Glinda asked with barely restrained rage.

"What? Glinda I never touched Evanora. She lied to Theodora about that to make her accept whatever curse she used. She even rigged up a fake music box to show her. I explained this to Theodora on the way back here yesterday. Finley can back me up on that. I mean give me a little credit. Sleeping with Evanora would be like trying to make love to a snake. Just because she was in a pretty package didn't mean I was _that_ bad. I _**do**_ have standards, you know," Oscar retorted indignantly.

Glinda's lips were a thin line before she nodded in acceptance as she replied, "Fair enough. That still doesn't excuse what you did with Theodora, though."

Oscar nodded his head in acceptance before he paused and thought over the odd way Glinda had just phrased that statement. "…_with_ Theodora?" he asked uncertainly.

"What?" Glinda asked in confusion.

"Just now, you said 'with' Theodora instead of 'to' Theodora," Oscar replied with a speculative look. "Glinda, is this just because of what I did?"

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" was Glinda's indignant reply.

"Glinda… are you _jealous_ of the fact Theodora and I slept together before I met you?" he asked as a sly grin began to spread across his face.

"Of course not! Why would I be jealous of something like that? And get that grin off your face this instant," Glinda insisted as she felt her face flushing with an embarrassed blush.

"Glinda, just because we're not together romantically anymore doesn't mean you're not human. I can understand you feeling a bit threatened by all of this," Oscar began.

"Oscar? If you don't want to spend the rest of the night transfigured into something unpleasant I highly suggest you drop this right now," Glinda informed him icily.

"Consider it dropped then. You just came in here to defend Theodora's honor. Nothing more," Oscar agreed with a smarmy expression on his face.

"You are impossible sometimes, you know that don't you?" Glinda asked with a roll of her eyes.

"I've been told it's one of my charms," Oscar responded with a nostalgic smile.

"One of the few. Very few, right now," Glinda agreed with a sniff.

"Glinda, does it really change anything? I mean we still have to help Theodora one way or another, right? And you're the only one on all of Oz that can work with her to break the spell. Is this… going to be a problem?" Oscar asked after a pause.

Glinda sighed a little to herself as she finally unfolded her arms and turned away from Oscar to look idly at the titles of some of the books on the shelves while she thought over her response. She turned to him and gave him a sad look as she replied, "I suppose not. And I know it's silly to even get overly upset over something like this when it took place well before we met and it's been years since we were together like that. But you have to realize that this will be one more obstacle between my younger sister and me whether she will acknowledge it or not. And we hardly need another one slow things down between us."

"I know, Glinda. Believe me I know. Half the problem Theodora has with Dorothy is she looks like Annie with darker hair. And with you looking so much like Annie and my having dark hair…" Oscar trailed off with a wince.

"Oh dear. I never even thought of that. Considering just how much she must see the two of us as betraying her with each other… oh my. Poor Theodora," Glinda lamented.

"It will work out, Glinda. You'll see. With you and Theodora working together you'll end up being better sisters for it. I'm sure of it," Oscar encouraged.

"I hope you're right, Oscar. I hope you're right," Glinda replied with forlorn look at her ex-lover.

* * *

Unfortunately, as it turned out, the longer Glinda and Theodora worked together, the easier it was to see that they were all but meant to get on each other's nerves. Although neither had really bothered to bite the proverbial bullet and bring up the largest bone of contention between them, namely Glinda's "stealing" of Oscar's affections as Theodora saw it. Just because Theodora knew logically that Evanora had manipulated her into the position of thinking that way did not magically erase twenty years of pain and resentment that had blossomed deep in Theodora's very soul. She was still furious with Glinda and Oscar both. It was just they were needed at this moment in time for her to get better. That didn't mean she had to like it or make it any easier for them, though.

"Honestly, Theodora, must you carry that disgusting old thing around with you all the time? It's not like you even really need it to fly," Glinda commented with a look of disdain at the pitch black broom that was Theodora's preferred mode of conveyance. It had become a particular point of argument between them by the second day of researching Evanora's curse when Dorothy had asked Theodora about it. And if that hadn't been bad enough, the plucky little farm girl had actually asked, much to Glinda's shock and horror, if Theodora would take her on a ride on it some time.

"Well, we can't all come and go by _bubble,_" Theodora scoffed with narrowed eyes.

Glinda flinched visibly at the snipe, reminded all too clearly of a similar comment that came from Evanora during hers and Glinda's duel in the throne room so many years ago.

_What's the matter Glinda? Run out of bubbles?_

"_Don't need 'em. Bubbles are just for show._

Glinda knew that it should be expected. That Theodora had spent more time with Evanora than anyone and that she would pick up a few personality quirks from their elder sister as a result. That didn't mean she had to like it. "Why do you insist on making things difficult?" Glinda sighed to herself as she scanned a dusty old spellbook she had found buried in a very hard to reach part of Evanora's personal library. This particular book seemed to be spells from Evanora's birth country of Ev, and was far more likely to have mentions of the forbidden magics that the Wicked Witch of the East had used to corrupt their youngest sister.

"I guess I'm just a bit _Wicked_ deep down, no matter what you try to do about it," Theodora sneered before smirking as she saw Glinda's shoulders tense in frustration.

"Theodora, I know you want my help. I know you want to be free of Evanora's spell. So why are you fighting with me at every opportunity? I understand that you have ample reason to be angry with Oscar and me both, but you seem to be going out of your way to antagonize me. Why is that?" Glinda finally demanded as she looked up to glare at her sister.

Theodora seemed to think over the question for a moment before she shrugged and replied glibly, "I suppose I just don't like you."

"Is that your strange 'Theodora' way of saying you like the others?" Glinda challenged her with a shrewd look.

Theodora sniffed indignantly as she replied, "I never said anything of the sort."

"I have eyes, sister. I can see the way you have softened toward Dorothy and her friends. You even treat Oscar with more kindness than you do me. I was just wondering if you would bother to tell me why?" Glinda prodded gently.

"I don't have to justify myself to the likes of you, Glinda," Theodora sneered at the blond witch.

"No, you don't," Glinda agreed. "I just thought clearing the air between us might make things go easier."

"Keep dreaming," Theodora grunted with a roll of her eyes.

"I didn't know about your interest in him, you know," Glinda finally said in the hopes of bringing the source of the tension between them into the light.

"What?" Theodora demanded.

"Oscar. I didn't know you had your heart set on him. That you had been _with_ him. And I certainly didn't get involved with him romantically until well after you had been exiled," Glinda explained.

Theodora could feel her palms burning with the urge to throw a fireball right in Glinda's pretty little face but restrained herself from attempting to do so. Barely. "Why would what was in my heart matter to you, Glinda? You were much more concerned with the greater good at that point. You and your big plans. Just like Evanora," Theodora spat hatefully.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Glinda demanded in shock at being compared to their truly evil half-sister.

"Tell me, did you understand immediately the power you had over the Wizard by looking like someone he loved in his land of Kansas? Were you aware of what you were doing to him by wearing the same face as Dorothy's mother? Or did that only come after, when you had claimed him and the right to the throne for yourself?" Theodora asked with a leer.

"How dare you?" Glinda asked hoarsely. "How dare you even ask- NO! Accuse me of something like that? How could you think I would stoop so low?"

"Why not? Playing with people's hearts worked for Evanora in crafting her idea of the greater good. And in the end that was what you were doing as well. The only difference was that you took a more Ozian approach to it while Evanora seemed to handle it the way they tend to handle things in Ev. Like that duchess over there that is said to collect the heads of beautiful maidens to trade with her own in order to make herself suitably attractive instead of crafting a proper illusory enchantment like someone would do here. Different approaches, but the same ultimate result. One of you was on the throne and the other was cast out," Theodora explained clinically.

Glinda truly wanted to strike Theodora in that moment. She wanted to lash out and tear her to pieces for comparing her to Evanora like that but she held herself back. She understood that Theodora was sick. She was hurting and bespelled to hold back the vast majority of her positive emotions in a way that would leave her with a very dark impression of what was going on around her. Still, it was a near thing as she stood stiffly and declared, "I think I need some air. I'll be back later."

"What's the matter sister? Seeing things a little too clearly for a change?" Theodora mocked.

"Theodora, you are my sister and I truly do care for you. And it is for that reason that I ask you to never compare me in that way to the woman that killed our father ever again. If you do I may not be responsible for my actions," Glinda informed her before striding out of the room the clear her head.

"Hmph. Some people just can't bear to hear the truth I suppose. I point out something blatantly obvious and I'm the one that gets threatened for her trouble. I guess it's true what they say, no good deed goes unpunished," Theodora mused aloud before she returned to her own search through Evanora's library.


	17. Chapter 16

Glinda stalked the halls of the Emerald Palace in a nearly fugue state as she tried to get Theodora's words out of her head. Did her younger sister really believe she was no different than Evanora? That the only difference between them was in their _chosen methods?_

"I take it Theodora said something to upset you again?" a familiar voice said, interrupting her musings.

"You could say that," Glinda agreed as she turned to regard Oscar, who was leaning against a doorframe with his arms folded across his chest.

"What was it this time? More talk about taking Dorothy flying?" he asked with a look of concern.

"Hardly," Glinda responded with a flat stare before she began to feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Glinda, what is it?" Oscar asked with as he moved to put a hand on Glinda's shoulder.

"She… it's my fault I suppose. I tried to push her too far too soon. And I _know_ she's not thinking clearly under Evanora's curse. But the way she just… ugh," Glinda ranted in frustration.

"Glinda, what did Theodora say that has you so upset?" Oscar insisted.

"She compared me to Evanora. She basically said that the only difference between us was in our methods. That I took an Ozian approach to things while Evanora had taken a more Evian approach," Glinda explained.

"How in the world did something like that come up between you?" Oscar asked in confusion as he tried to wrap his head around the comparison.

Glinda sighed regretfully before she responded, "I pushed her. I…I tried to discuss well, _you_, with her." Glinda explained.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Oscar asked.

"I tried to explain that I had no idea what she felt for you back then when we first met. And that we didn't just jump into a relationship together the way Evanora presented it to her. I should have known better, known that it would have upset her no matter how I approached the subject. Theodora has always been passionate, even before the apple. Anyway, I tried to work up to apologizing for hurting her feelings but she started asking me if I realized…" Glinda said before training off.

"Glinda, what did she say?" Oscar prodded.

"She accused me of using you. She asked if I understood the power I had over you looking like Annie and if I used it intentionally to control you. Actually she asked if I understood it from the start or only used it _after_ we were together. She said I used it to help overthrow Evanora and seize control of the throne the way Evanora had done with our father," Glinda explained with a pained look.

"Glinda, that's ridiculous. You can't help that you look like Annie. It's not like you're wearing an illusion or anything, or that you even knew who Annie was back then, much less what I felt for her. Why are you letting this get to you?" Oscar as he moved in to offer a comforting hug.

"Because part of it is true. Even if it wasn't intentional I did everything she said and it hurt to have her call me on it. Never mind that she thinks I'm capable of being as manipulative as Evanora," Glinda sniffed sadly.

"Well to be fair, you did help me pull off the greatest con in all of Oz to scare off Evanora and Theodora both. That did require a degree of planning," Oscar teased with a smile.

Glinda laughed at the silly comment as she pushed back far enough to smile up at Oscar as she replied, "You always do manage to cheer me up."

"Just part of my service as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Oscar retorted with a wide smile.

Had either of the bothered to look around during the tender moment, they might have noted a black silhouette in the shadow at the end of the hall with a familiar pointed hat, and a pair of narrowed yellow-red eyes.

* * *

Theodora practically ran in the opposite direction once she caught sight of Glinda running into the Wizard's arms. After all this time such a sight shouldn't bother her anymore. But No, Glinda had to go and tear at old wounds in some kind of misguided attempt to clear the air between them. As if she needed another reminder that Oscar chose the Good Witch of the South. That Glinda would always be the prettier beloved sister. The one that was destined for the rose and the pearl. Heaven knew Theodora was not meant to be that girl.

She wandered the halls of the Palace in a haze not unlike the one that had taken Glinda until she found herself in a private little courtyard that was well hidden from the Emerald City proper while still gave the benefit of open sky above her. It was meant to be a private oasis for the Royal Family. Theodora remembered coming to this very courtyard as a girl to read. Like much of the Emerald City, it had not changed at all. Almost as if it was mocking the wide range of changes that Theodora herself had undergone.

Theodora's musings were interrupted by an unexpected voice as the Tin Man called out, "Miss Theodora?"

"Yes?" Theodora drawled out coolly, less that pleased with the interruption.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. It's just you seem… upset," The Tin Woodman replied with a worried look. He hated to see anyone upset or in pain.

"It's nothing," Theodora retorted shortly. She didn't see how her being upset should affect the magically animated man in any way.

"Maybe," the Tin Man conceded. "But sometimes it helps to have someone to talk to," he added.

"And what makes you think I would want to talk? Wouldn't someone need a heart to be able to bare their soul like that?" Theodora snorted angrily.

"I wouldn't know. You see, I don't have a heart either," the Tin Man explained sadly.

"What?" Theodora asked in confusion.

"The Master Tinker, the man that give me my tin body parts after I was cursed, died before he could give me one," the Tin Man explained. He knocked on his metal chest to demonstrate that it was hollow. "I've always wanted a heart, though. To be able to feel again like I should," he lamented sadly.

Theodora sat there in silent contemplation for a few moments before she asked, "How did you come to be made of tin?"

"Well, I'm afraid the curse that caused this came from the same place as the curse you're under," the Tin Man replied with a regretful look.

"You mean Evanora did this to you?" Theodora asked as she tried to grasp his meaning.

The Tin Man nodded as he replied, "You see, I was once a simple man by the name of Nick Chopper. I was a woodsman by trade like my father before me. I think I mentioned that to you before?" the Tin Man explained as Theodora nodded in agreement to his query. "Well I fell in love with a remarkable woman named Nimmie Amee and had every intention of one day marrying her."

"I…remember that name. Nimmie was one of the servants my sister kept in Munchkin Country," Theodora said with a look of concentration on her face.

The Tin Man nodded in agreement before he continued, "She was indeed. And apparently Miss Evanora wasn't keen on losing one of her servants to marriage. So instead she enchanted my axe to chop off every part of my body to ensure I didn't take Nimmie away from her. Had it not been for the Master Tinker, I would not be here today."

"I'm… sorry. That she did that to you," Theodora apologized, unsure how to react to the rather horrific tale.

"Oh no, you needn't apologize, Miss Theodora. You were as much a victim of her magic as I was. Even worse, she used your trust in her to help her with her curse. That's far more tragic than my own tale," the Tin Man said, afraid he had upset the green woman with his story.

They sat there together for a long time before Theodora asked, "Have you gone to see her?"

"Hmm?" the Tin Man asked in response to the question.

"Nimmie. Have you gone to see her now that Evanora… isn't in the way?" Theodora asked.

"Oh goodness no. What could I offer her made of Tin as I am and with no heart to boot? That would be even less kind than thinking me dead, I would think," the Tin Man replied, somewhat disturbed by the very notion of returning to Nimmie. "Although there are days when I dearly wish I could."

"Wishing only wounds the heart," Theodora replied somewhat wistfully. "I remember when I was younger and I used to wish for the Wizard to come and save all of Oz. I was sure he would save me too. That he would take away my loneliness and sweep me off my feet. That I would one day be his Queen."

"Well, he did come and save all of Oz from the Wicked Witch of the East. And he is helping to restore you," the Tin Man encouraged with a hopeful smile.

"I was a foolish child. I may have been a grown woman in body, but I was still a little girl at heart, not unlike… Dorothy. I remember when I first met the Wizard. How my heart leaped in a giddy whirl, and how devastated I was when he chose Glinda and reality set back in for me," Theodora continued. "I had thought for once that I was the one that would be good enough. That what I had with him was real. But no, it was a blithe smile and a lithe limb that attracted him in the end," she lamented sadly.

"Oh dear that is so sad," the Tin Man sniffed as he feel tears begin to fall from his cheeks.

Theodora was shocked to see the Tin Man begin to silently weep for her. She understood that, like her, crying was not exactly a healthy thing for him. After all, he could rust himself solid from the water in his tears much like how Theodora would be burned by hers. "Stop that. I don't want you to end up rusting. Glinda and those blasted Quadlings of hers would probably blame me for it," she said with a look of concern on her face that had nothing to do with fear of reprisal from Glinda.

"I'm sorry. I get a bit emotional at times. And your tale is so sad," the Tin Man explained.

"You have to be the most emotional person with no heart I have ever heard of. I would expect you to be out hunting me down with your axe for how I behaved toward Dorothy. Not… sitting here crying over how sad my tale was when yours is worse," Theodora commented with a sidelong glance.

"I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable. It's just… I understand part of what you're going through. I just want to let you know that you're not alone, Miss Theodora. I know Dorothy and the Wizard both care a great deal about seeing you find a cure for your curse. You should have seen how determined they both were to help you. I know the Wizard will do everything he can to restore you to your old self. He really does care about you. I know it," the Tin Man explained.

Theodora did her best to ignore the strange swell of emotion that the Tin Woodman's words caused in her. _Don't start thinking like that Theodora. Don't lose sight of who you are. You just saw Glinda running back to Oscar's arms despite claiming they were no longer in a relationship. There's no sense wishing things were different. They are both just a means to an end. Remember that, _Theodora scolded in her head as part of her felt a sudden swell of heat in her chest.

* * *

Glinda had returned to Evanora's private chambers to find Theodora gone. Part of her was glad for that fact even as another part reprimanded herself for thinking that way. She tried to put the less than kind words out of her head as she started going over the book of spells from Ev again as she had started to before she fled the room the first time. Her eyes went over the various spells, some benign, most not, before her eyes widened at the spell she had found.

"Spell of the Withering Hearts," she whispered to herself. Where had she heard that turn of phrase before? Glinda shot to her feet in an instant as she recalled what she had read the day prior with that very expression. It was in Evanora's private journal, a journal that she had been keeping before the death of their father. In it Evanora had said that she could not bring herself to do what must be done. That she would need to discover something to harden her heart, or failing that something to make it wither away all together…

Had Evanora used the same spell she had used on Theodora on herself first? Was she really so twisted she would destroy her OWN heart just to work up the resolution to poison the King? "Evanora, just when I think I finally understand how far you've fallen you still manage to shock me," Glinda muttered as she compared the notes she had made of Theodora's description of the effects of the spell with what was written in the grimmoire.

"This is… yes. This is it. I'm sure of it. Using a bitter green apple, heart withering away to nothing. If you added a line about "beautiful wickedness" I would think Evanora wrote it herself. This must be it. Now to see if there's a counter-spell or if I'll have to craft one myself?" Glinda muttered in excitement. She finally had the potential breakthrough she would need. With any luck, Theodora would be restored at the end of the week. They could finally put this whole unpleasant episode behind them.

Or, at least, Glinda hoped they could.


	18. Chapter 17

Theodora remained in the courtyard and tried to clear her head long after the Tin Man had departed to check on the others in the Palace. It seemed all three of Dorothy's companions had taken to acting as a kind of roving guard for all of the new transplants, as well as the Wizard himself. It was endearing in a way, she supposed, that young Dorothy could inspire such loyalty at such a young age.

"Oh, Miss Theodora, there you are. You and Miss Glinda missed lunch again," came the voice of the girl in question as Theodora turned her head to regard the farm girl.

Theodora looked up into the sky and noted the position of the sun as she idly replied, "So we did."

"If you're hungry I could go to the kitchens and make a sandwich for you," Dorothy offered.

Theodora fought between breaking into a smile or a sneer at the girl's offer. It was odd to her how Dorothy felt uncomfortable taking advantage of the hospitality of the Palace cooks the way she did. Still, the offer was heartfelt and Dorothy was probably the only human in the Emerald City that Theodora trusted not to have some kind of ulterior motive for her actions. Anyone that had spoken to her for more than a minute would know that there did not seem to be a deliberately malicious bone in the girl's body. It was hard to believe that only days ago Theodora had thought Dorothy had intentionally murdered Evanora with her house.

_How would that even make sense? The girl clearly isn't a witch of any kind. What was I thinking?_ Theodora thought to herself with a look of consternation. It seemed the longer she was away from Kiamo Ko, the clearer her thoughts had become. Although how much of that was the result of being free of Evanora's influence and how much came from healthy interactions with other people was anyone's guess.

"Miss Theodora, are you alright?" Dorothy prodded when she did not receive an answer to her query.

"I'm fine, girl. Just thinking is all," Theodora explained. "Or trying not to think. It's nothing to trouble yourself with."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to disturb you then. I don't want to make a nuisance of myself," Dorothy declared awkwardly as she gave a small curtsey.

"It's fine. I suppose I could use the distraction. What brings you here, anyway? I would think you would be touring the Emerald City or something. You and your friends are the only ones not bound to the Palace either by work like Glinda, or by the fact you can't risk letting people see you like the Monkeys, the Wizard, and I," Theodora noted with a look.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. I wouldn't even know where to start," Dorothy denied with a wide-eyed expression.

"Well that's your choice, although the City does have its marvels if you look for them. Or at least it did when I still lived here," Theodora responded with a shrug.

"What kinds of marvels?" Dorothy asked as she took a seat beside Theodora and watched her with a rapt expression.

"How can you even ask that, child? Look around you," Theodora admonished with a reproachful look.

"Oh but everything here is so different from home it all seems marvelous to me," Dorothy replied modestly.

Theodora chuckled ruefully as she replied, "I suppose it would at that. The Emerald City was always a marvel. It's not everywhere that you see buildings taller than Quoxwood trees nestled between the finest museums and libraries in all of Oz. Sometimes it seems like every attraction you could want was more than a hundred strong in the City." There was a note of wistfulness and nostalgia in her voice as she continued, "The shopping here is considered the best in all the Land. I know Glinda used to go on and on about the dress salons here when she was a teenager. So did my mother, for that matter. Honestly, that was never something I was all that attracted to even if I had to endure it as a Royal Child."

"What did you like to do?" Dorothy asked with an encouraging smile, happy that Theodora seemed to be opening up a bit.

"When I was your age and was watched more closely by my guard detail, I would read. Mostly my sorcery books, although I liked a few novels as well. In fact I used to come to this very courtyard to escape the hustle and bustle of courtly life. When I grew older I found that I liked to wander the countryside. Of course, by then I was a fully trained witch more than capable of taking care of myself should anything unexpected happen. And looking back, Evanora was far more lenient about how I was watched than my… father had been," Theodora added with a note of angry sadness at the thoughts of her sister and her father.

"What about in your Castle? I mean, I noticed the telescope in your tower. Did you like to look up at the stars?" Dorothy asked, hoping to save Theodora's mood.

"On occasion," Theodora conceded with nod. "I spent most of my time coming up with ways to try to oppose the Wizard. Or listening to Evanora's plans, at any rate. But the thing I enjoyed the most was flying."

With that Dorothy looked at the black broom at Miss Theodora's side with a wistful expression of her own. "It must be so exciting to move around like that, free as a bird," Dorothy commented, never taking her eyes off of the broom.

"Oh it is. I don't think Glinda or Evanora really thought about flying as anything more than a fast way to get around the kingdom, but to me it was always something more. There's just something about the freedom in it. In lifting off and defying gravity. It makes you feel…unlimited," Theodora agreed with a proud smile.

The pair sat there in companionable silence for a time before Theodora stood up and held out her broom. "You know I think you asked me for a ride once before, girl. Still up for it?" Theodora asked with a smirk.

Dorothy's eyes were like saucers as she replied, "Do you really think it's alright? Miss Glinda seemed awfully sore when I asked the last time."

"Well I don't see Glinda here right now, do you?" Theodora replied with a Cheshire grin.

Dorothy gulped a bit as she looked around nervously before shaking her head in the negative.

Theodora had an almost maniacal grin as she said mounted the broom herself before gesturing behind her as she said, "Well get on then. We'll take a spin around the courtyard. We'll show everyone how we can defy gravity together."

You could say many things about Dorothy, but accusing her to be timid in the face of adventure was not one of them. She seemed to practically teleport behind Theodora as she said, "Oh thank you Miss Theodora."

"Just hold on tightly to my waist girl. I don't want to explain you falling off. An away we go," Theodora cautioned before they started to rise slowly off the ground. Theodora made sure to cancel the "smoke effect" as she rose to a height of thirty or forty feet and started to make laps around the courtyard proper with a squealing and laughing Dorothy clinging to her the whole time. Soon, without realizing it, Theodora's own laughter joined hers, and for once it was not a maniacal cackle meant to inspire fear in all who heard it. Instead it was… joyous.

* * *

Up above the flying pair, the four Winged Monkeys watched carefully from a window that faced the courtyard. They all, with the exception of Finley, made it a point to try to avoid being seen and heard even if the minimal staff in the private parts of the Palace were aware of their presence.

"Would you look at that?" Finley said amazed at what he was seeing.

"Nice Girl help Mistress," Chistery commented with a proud smile.

"I wouldn't think it was possible. Not without breaking the curse completely first," Finley said with a shake of his head.

"Miss Dorothy seems to get under Mistress Theodora's defenses in a way only the Wizard could," Treackle noted idly.

"Well I suppose it helps not having her Ugliness hanging around to make Theodora even angrier all the time. She might have her problems with Oz and Glinda but they at least want to help," Finley added with a scowl at the thought of Evanora.

"I don't think the Good Witch's efforts will be appreciated any time soon. Fighting over the dominant male in the troop always causes problems between females," Treackle responded with a sniff.

"It's more than that and you know it. The family issues between them are way deeper than any of us understood. Although it doesn't help that they are both jealous even though Glinda gave up on Oz as a mate a long time ago," Finley retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Both still want Wizard. Can smell," Chistery interjected.

"Yeah, you try explaining that to a human. See if they'll even admit it to themselves. Trust me; I've had human masters for most of my life even before I met Oscar. Finding one that will listen to common sense is like finding a fresh banana in the middle of winter.

The conversation would have continued had it not been interrupted by an outraged shriek from the ground.

"Theodora, you come down here this instant! What do you think you two are doing up there? So help me I will go get Oscar and the two of us will bring you down ourselves if you don't stop this," Glinda's voice rang out clearly in a tone that made the Monkeys all wince.

They smiled as Theodora laughed again and gleefully responded, "Sorry, Glinda, but nobody in all of Oz, no Wizard that there is or was, is every going to bring us down!"

The sound of Glinda's frustrated growl made the four Monkeys chuckle as she stomped off to find the Wizard. She knew Theodora would continue to ignore her out of spite but Dorothy would at least listen to her Uncle Oscar if he asked her to come down.

* * *

Oscar was currently going over some rather boring expense reports and royal requests with the Scarecrow, who he discovered had a rather high aptitude for the clerical minutiae that came with running a kingdom. Which was a pleasant surprise coming from someone that claimed himself to be brainless. Then again, considering what Oscar remembered about some of the politicians he had seen in his lifetime being brainless might have been an advantage.

The work was interrupted as a knock came to his study and a Quadling maid announced, "Excuse me, your Ozness, but you have a visitor."

"A visitor? I don't remember scheduling any audiences today. Oh well, I'll head to the throne room and warm everything up if you'll have the guards direct them there," he commented with a look mild concern on his face at the odd occurrence.

"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary, sir," the maid noted with a poorly hidden smile as she moved aside to reveal a petite woman made entirely of fine china standing behind her.

"Anna!" Oscar exclaimed in pleased surprise at the sight of his adopted daughter.

"Daddy!" Anna returned with a wide smile as she ran forward and hugged her "father."

Oscar scooped the one time Little China Girl up and spun her around the room, much to her playful protests, before setting her down again as he said, "Look at you. You're all the way up to my knee now. Who ever gave you permission to go and get so big on me like this?"

Anna made a show of putting her right hand to her chin and pretending to think her answer over as she replied, "I think it was Glinda. She said something about you being too stubborn about me wanting to be your little girl forever."

"Well can you blame me? You must be fighting the china men off with a stick now," Oscar replied with a smile.

"Nah, I still have my knife instead. More versatile," Anna retorted with a smile of her own.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have made arrangements," Oscar asked as he moved to get her a chair.

"Um, Dad, are you aware there's a scarecrow sitting at your desk reading?" Anna asked as she looked past her father curiously at the Scarecrow.

"Ah, yes, where are my manners? Anna, this is Scarecrow. Scarecrow, Anna, my daughter," Oscar said by way of introduction as the Scarecrow rose and bowed politely to the china woman.

"It's a pleasure Miss Anna," Scarecrow said with a note of deep respect in his voice.

"Likewise," Anna replied with a sweet grin before Oscar moved over and got her a chair.

"So anyway, I've heard some interesting things about the Wicked Witch of the East recently," Anna prodded toward to father once she was situated.

"Oh, Anna, that's just the start of the tale," Oscar assured her before moving in to catch her up on all that had been going on for the last week and a half or so.

"Wait… so you were right about Theodora? She's not really Wicked?" Anna asked once the tale was completed.

"Well, she's angry. She had reasons to be honestly. But no she's not really wicked and she's here looking to get better. We're hoping she and Glinda can find a cure for Evanora's curse in her things," Oscar replied somberly

"That would be nice. It's about time her junk was used to help someone for a change," Anna groused with a scowl. She would never forgive Evanora for destroying her village and murdering her birth family. The Wicked Witch of the East was every bit the monster her hideous appearance presented her to be. Still, she was glad her father had been right about Miss Theodora. Anna had never known her as anything but the Wicked Witch of the West, had never even seen her before she became the green woman feared by all of Oz, although Knuck used to tell her stories about Theodora the Good from time to time when Glinda and Oscar got into one of their arguments over whether she could really be saved. She supposed she would have to keep an open mind about her until she met Theodora for herself.

And speaking of meeting people, "So when do I get to meet this heroic new cousin of mine that bested the Wicked Witch of the East without trying?"

Oscar was about to answer when the door flew open and Glinda announced, "Oscar I need your help. It's Theodora."

Oscar looked worried as she got to his feet and asked, "What's wrong?"

"She and Dorothy are in the private courtyard and… well you'll see," Glinda replied with an exasperated sigh before she even bothered to take note of the rest of the room. "Anna!" she exclaimed in a much happier tone at the sight of the little girl she and Oz had all but raised together.

"Good to see you too, Glinda," Anna replied with a smile at her surrogate mother.

"Okay, now what's Theodora doing with Dorothy that has you so worked up? Usually when you get into a spat like you did earlier today you both spend at least until supper avoiding each other to cool off," Oscar asked as he moved to join Glinda at the doorway.

Glinda rolled her eyes to the heavens as she retorted, "Just come with me. Oz knows Theodora won't listen to anything I tell her to do, but Dorothy will at least listen to you and it's not my place to really tell her to do anything."

* * *

Oscar, the Scarecrow, and Anna all followed the still fuming Glinda to the courtyard only to stop short at the sounds of cheering and laughter that rang off the very walls around them as Theodora took Dorothy through an impressive set of aerial twists and turns right above their heads. It took them a moment to realize that the rich laughter being accompanied by exclamations of "higher" and "faster" was not Dorothy's alone. The sound of Theodora's carefree laughing brought them all up a bit short.

Theodora stopped and hovered mid-air as she took notice of the new arrivals and rolled her eyes as she complained, "Looks like sister dearest called in the cavalry, kid. I think the ride might be over for you."

"Well, don't you have something to say Oscar?" Glinda insisted as she gestured to the still hovering pair with her right hand.

For his part Oscar was just standing there in stunned silence at the expression on Theodora's face. He had never seen her looking so… free. Even when they first met there had been a tenseness to her due to her concerns over the oppression of the Wicked Witch on all of Oz. But this look was closer to what he had seen on her face as they walked down the path through the sunflowers together as she talked about how happy she was that she would no longer be alone. Despite the green skin and physical changes to her features he could finally see the real Theodora again right there before him and it was a welcome sight indeed.

The moment was interrupted as someone did finally respond to Glinda's question as Anna asked, "Well I have something to say. Do you think I could get a turn? That looks like a lot of fun."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay the next chapter should include Theodora's physical cure. That won't immediately cure her emotional issues by any means but it will make it easier for Theodora to feel things completely again. As I said before, this one is in for a long haul. I have at least two more story arcs outlined in my head after Theodora is restored so don't assume that this one is ending any time soon.


	19. Chapter 18

"Anna!" Glinda, exclaimed, scandalized s the Little China Woman's comment. "Don't encourage her. Dorothy could fall off that broom and break her neck. Never mind those maneuvers Theodora was doing. It puts them both in terrible danger."

"Oh get over it Glinda. Everyone deserves the chance to fly at least once. Even father used to tell us that as children," Theodora responded with a snort.

Glinda scowled up at Theodora angrily even as Oscar chuckled and replied, "Well I can't say I enjoyed my first flight as much as Dorothy did. Then again we did have most of Evanora's troops chasing us at the time looking to tear us apart. Either way, maybe it's time you both came back down to Earth. There's someone here I'd like you to meet."

Theodora's expression hardened into a sneer at Glinda as she complied and lowered herself and Dorothy back to the ground. "Fine. But you know full well I wouldn't have let her fall. And as you pointed out, Glinda, I don't actually need the broom to fly myself. It's not like I could lose control of it and crash. It's more of a portable seat than anything," Theodora retorted snippily. Honestly, the first real fun she had in what seemed like forever and Glinda had to ruin it. What next, was she going to drag her off to some insipid etiquette lesson like they were still children?

"Theodora, Dorothy, allow me to present Miss Anna Diggs, my adopted daughter. Anna, this is Theodora and Dorothy Gale of Kansas," Oscar introduced with a gesture to each person in turn.

"Oh my," Dorothy exclaimed as she recognized the features of the china doll from the picture in the room she was using. She put two and two together as she asked, "You let me use your daughter's room while I'm here Uncle Oscar?"

"What? Daddy, you didn't even give her a room of her own? Seriously?" Anna asked with her hands on her hips as she glared up at her father and kicked him in the shin.

"That still doesn't hurt," Oscar responded to the kick. "And what was I supposed to do? Dorothy is basically family; and at the time I wasn't sure how to even get through to help Theodora, who was after her for the Silver Shoes, so I made sure to put Dorothy in the most warded room in the Palace for extra safety. You think I would just stick her any old place? Honestly," he added with exasperation.

"Honestly yourself," Anna shot back with a nostalgic grin. She turned her attention back to Theodora and Dorothy as she curtsied and said, "Sorry about Daddy. He's kind of a jerk sometimes but I still love him. Anyway it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. I'm so sorry for taking your room without asking," Dorothy responded with a curtsey of her own.

Theodora settled for a nod of acknowledgement as her face seemed to shut down a bit. She imagined it would go right over Dorothy's head, with her lack of understanding of Dainty China Country culture, that the fact Anna had even taken a name was significant. And for her, Oscar's adopted daughter, to take a name so close to that of Dorothy's mother was no accident. Suddenly the image of Oscar, Glinda, and Anna being a happy family together here in the Palace filled her mind and left her mood much less pleasant than it had been. Even a week ago the notion would have made her fly into a rage but now it just filled her with a dull ache. She didn't understand why she kept letting these things bother her but they continued to do so nonetheless. Seeing the young woman that could claim Oscar as a father and the girl that looked like what a child of Oscar and Glinda's would look like side by side just made the pain in her chest that much more uncomfortable.

Her musings were cut short as a joyous cry of "Anna!" came from above as Finley swooped down and scooped up the diminutive porcelain woman into his arms.

"Finley!" Anna returned with equal glee. Oscar had just told her of his return, of course, but seeing him there whole and hale made all the difference for her. "You're really and truly alright. Even hearing it from Daddy, I never imagined," she added with tears in her eyes.

"I wonder if I should feel insulted at the implications here?" Theodora asked sardonically as she observed the reunion.

"Mistress never hurt troop. Always protect," the guttural voice of Chistery insisted as he flew down to Theodroa's side joined by Treackle a moment later. Nikko, ever the silent sentinel, chose to remain in the window to observe from above.

"Indeed. Mistress Theodora has never so much as raised a hand against any Winged Monkey in all the years we have served her," Treackle added somewhat defensively.

"Now let's calm down boys. Anna didn't mean to insult Theodora in any way," Oscar interjected to calm the situation down before it ended up escalating.

"Yeah. It's just, Finley went to check on what was going on with all of you following her and never came back. And it's not like we could just march into Winkie Country to ask about him. We worried, you know? But it's not like we were welcome there," Anna explained.

"That didn't seem to stop your father from coming in uninvited and convincing me to come back here," Theodora responded with a snort.

"Yeah, he has a hard time taking directions sometimes. Glinda used to really get on him about that when he would talk about coming to rescue you from the Wicked Witch of the East," Anna commented with sidelong look at her father.

"Speaking of Theodora returning home," Glinda cut in, making Theodora flinch unconsciously at Glinda's reference to the Emerald City as Theodora's home, "I have news on that front as well."

"What is it, Miss Glinda?" The Scarecrow asked, eager to hear Miss Glinda's news.

Glinda took a moment to gather herself a she smiled and replied, "I think I've found the original curse. That's what brought me out here to search for Theodora in the first place. And while there isn't a direct counterspell for it as it's considered some kind of sick improvement upon the victim according to the grimmorie I found it in, there is enough about both the method and the risks of spell interactions to craft a successful counter-curse. It will take a few days to work out but you should be back to your old self by the end of the week, sister."

Theodora stood there in shock at the news even as Dorothy exclaimed, "Oh that's wonderful news," and Oscar moved forward to hug her in congratulations.

"I knew it. I knew we would find a way," Oscar whispered happily to the green woman as Theodora tried her best to wrap her head around the thought of being normal again.

She also stiffened in shock at the unexpected contact from Oscar as she fought the urge to melt into the embrace as she irritably snapped, "Get off me you oaf. When did I ever say I wanted you pawing at me?"

Oscar was too happy with the news to take offense at Theodora's abrasive manner as he stepped back and slyly asked, "Well I only have so many chances to hug a beautiful woman these days so I have to take them where I can get them. Being the Wizard doesn't give you much of a reputation for being cuddly."

"Idiot," Theodora growled half-heartedly. "And I can't think of a single person that would ever call what Evanora helped turn me into as beautiful. I'm hideous, just like she said. You don't need to try to flatter me with such obvious lies."

The whole group regarded her for a moment before Dorothy broke the silence as she said, "I don't think you're ugly at all, Miss Theodora. You just look…exotic."

"Well I can't say much. I _did_ tell you green was my favorite color when I first saw the Emerald City with you," Oscar added with a playful shrug.

"Theodora, the fact you changed so little, comparatively, shows just how much you resisted the full extent of Evanora's spell," Glinda said with a sad expression.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Theodora asked with a confused expression.

"Looking over the spell and comparing it to Evanora's journal… I think she used it on herself to help her work up the nerve to poison our father. And I'm willing to bet her appearance after casting it was what she really looked like ever since. It was a reflection of her inner darkness," Glinda postulated with a grimace.

"That…that's," Theodora sputtered, unsure of how to react to such news.

"Monstrous? Heinous? _Wicked?" _Glinda suggested with a decidedly green pallor of her own due to sickness rather than sorcery.

"Well, I understand now why Evanora was so quick to offer an enchantment to hide my changed features," Theodora muttered with a look of queasy realization. So many things Evanora had said and done made so much more sense in that light. It also made Theodora question whether her sister had been in anything approaching her right mind when she started down the path to Wickedness so completely. And why it seemed that there was a way back for Theodora that was denied Evanora? Had Evanora truly been beyond redemption or was she simply the unluckier sister?

"I… I need to go. I need to think about all of this. I'll be in my chambers," Theodora insisted after a moment to gather her thoughts before fleeing back into the Palace proper.

"Miss Theodora," Dorothy called to her retreating form as the Witch of the West departed.

"Let her go Dorothy. Finding out something like that can't be easy on a person," the Scarecrow noted wisely.

"He's right, Dorothy. We all know Theodora has issues she has to work out with what Evanora did. Finding out she would do it to herself too just to make killing easier. None of us can begin to imagine what she must be feeling right now," Oscar added somberly.

"I should go start working out the components I'll need for the counter spell," Glinda noted with a sad expression as she watched her sister flee the group.

"Yeah. And I should finish with those expense summaries. Maybe try to work out if we want to announce Theodora's cure right away after the curse is broken. I know most of Oz will breathe a sigh of relief not having to worry about the Wicked Witch of the West anymore. And if I craft the announcement just right they'll at least be sympathetic to Theodora's plight if not outright accept her back into Ozian society," Oscar added with a compassionate look on his face.

"Come on, Dorothy, you can tell me about Kansas and I'll tell you what it was like growing up in the Palace," Anna suggested as a way to keep Dorothy occupied as it was clear she was deeply worried about Theodora's mood.

* * *

It ended up taking a full three days for Glinda to work out the counter-curse to break the enchantment of Evanora's apple. It also ended up taking several spell components that Glinda did not like even thinking about, including three drops of blood freely given from three people that truly cared about Theodora (in this case Oscar, Dorothy, and Glinda herself), but she did it. Now she just had to gather everyone together and see if it worked.

Part of her felt an awful sense of dread that the spell would somehow fail. That despite being more powerful magically than Evanora had been, that Glinda lacked the skill to truly help cure her younger sister. The proof would be in the proverbial pudding, she supposed. Or rather, in the shiny red apple in Glinda's hand that glowed with an inner light all its own.

* * *

"Did we really have to do this here?" Theodora asked as she looked over the assembled group in Evanora's chambers three days after Glinda's little announcement. Oscar, Glinda, Dorothy, her three friends, Anna, and the Winged Monkeys were all assembled in the room with her.

"It's always easier to counter a spell closest to the thaumaturgical resonance where it was first enacted. You know that, Theodora," Glinda replied with a sympathetic smile.

"And you're sure this won't just make my skin turn red? Being called the 'Horribly Sunburned Witch of the West' wouldn't be much of an improvement, you know," Theodora stalled with a wary look at the Red Apple.

"This spell was crafted in love and reinforced by those that care for you, sister. It will break the wall that the Spell of the Withering Heart created around your heart and allow it to grow once more. An apple took that ability to grow away from you and now an apple will restore it. Everything comes full circle," Glinda assured her as she pushed away her own doubts about her ability to truly destroy the last of Evanora's most visible evil deeds toward their family.

"You do realize that even if this works thinks won't automatically be okay between us, don't you?" Theodora warned as she reached out tentatively and took the apple in hand.

"We know. Building trust takes time, sister. And it will take a great deal of time before you can trust Oscar or myself fully again, if ever," Glinda assured her with a kind smile.

"But, you're worth the effort Theodora. We all understand that," Oscar added with an encouraging grin.

"Yes, indeed," the Tin Man echoed with a gentle smile of his own.

"Ain't it the truth," the Cowardly Lion added with a nod.

"You're all crazy. And so am I for doing this," Theodora muttered before raising the apple to her lips. She paused one last time to take note of the hopeful look on Dorothy's eyes before closing her own and taking a bite. Much like the bite of the Green Apple she chewed and swallowed as quickly as she could before she tried to convince herself to back out.

The assembled group waited with baited breath as Theodora stood still in front of the couch.

"Is it working, Miss Theodora?" Dorothy asked after a few tense moments.

"I don't know. It took a minute or two for Evanora's apple to really start to kick in. We'll just have to wait and see..." Theodora trailed off her eyes suddenly grew wide and she felt a warming sensation in her chest. She stumbled forward only to be caught by Oscar, who gave her a worried look as she glanced up into his eyes. "Oscar, I think it's doing something," she whispered. "I feel so…warm."

"Glinda, is this what's supposed to happen?" Oscar asked as he tried to help keep Theodora upright.

"I don't know. The spell should work but I don't know how exactly it gets from here to there, so to speak. I did have to make it up from scratch, you know," Glinda reminded him as she moved to help support Theodora as well. She recalled what her sister had told her about the original transformation as she said, "We should move her in front of the fireplace and set her down. That's where she finished her transformation the first time."

"No. I don't want to go back. Don't make it hurt again sister," Theodora said deliriously before breaking off into a broken giggle.

"Glinda, this is kind of making me nervous here," Oscar warned with a worried look on his face.

"She's fully reconnecting to her emotions for the first time in twenty years Oscar. That has to be more than a little overwhelming. Either way, we have to let the spell run its course.

With that said the pair helped Theodora stay somewhat upright as she stumbled toward the drapes. "You laughed last time Wizard. I remember you laughing. Do you want me to take off my bodice again?" Theodora inquired with a far off look, not really seeing anything around her. "But I can breathe this time so it's not the same."

"It's okay, Theodora. We're all here for you. Nobody is laughing at you, I promise," Oscar assured her as she started to stumble across the room again only to stop in from of the fireplace as Glinda had suggested and sink bonelessly to her knees.

"You still owe me a dance," Theodora said somewhat drunkenly before pulling herself free from Oscar's grasp and giggling again before she fell to all fours. She began to wretch painfully from a moment before finally spitting up a viscous black substance that smelled as foul as anything anyone in the room had ever encountered before it lit itself aflame and burned itself to a fine ash, leaving a deep scorch mark on the green marble floor.

"Uncle Oscar, look," Dorothy whispered as once the black substance was expelled, Theodora began to change. Her skin faded from green to a creamy white, and her chin and nose seemed to blur for a moment until they resembled an somewhat pixie-like complexion rather than the odd angles they were in moments before. Finally, Theodora's eyes, the glowing yellow eyes with their blood red flecks faded to a gentle brown, just a shade or two darker than hazel. They were compassionate eyes. Eyes that made you want to trust and protect the person looking at you with their imploring gaze.

The assembled group looked on in shock as Theodora looked around the room with wide eyes as she struggled to get back to her feet. She looked down at her hand, her normal human looking left hand, in wonder for a moment before her right hand went to her chin and nose, feeling them experimentally, before she asked, "Did it work?"

"See for yourself, sister. Although I feel it's my duty to warn you that with your coloration black isn't really your color," Glinda replied with a proud smile and a tear in her eye as she helped move Theodora to the nearest mirror.

Theodora stared at the image in the mirror in wonder, an image she had not seen except in her dreams, and the occasional nightmare, in twenty years. "Why Miss Theodora, you're beautiful," Dorothy gasped in wonder.

"You did it. You really did it," Theodora whispered in shock as she reached out tentatively to touch the mirror, part of her afraid it would shatter or something and reveal this moment to be some kind of cruel dream.

"Well I don't think you'll have to go with 'the Horribly Sunburned Witch of the West' after all," Oscar commented with a gentle smile as he moved to stand behind and to the right of Theodora. "Looks like you'll have to settle for Theodora the Good again instead."

Theodora turned to face Oscar looking down at the floor before raising her eyes to meet his. For a moment he was taken back to that trusting and nervous expression she had after they had escaped from Evanora's Winged Baboon. The memory was broken by a mighty crack as Theodora reached up and slapped him hard across his right cheek.

"Okay, what the heck was that for?" Oscar asked as he cradled his cheek defensively.

"Do you really have to ask? Maybe if I had settled for that twenty years ago we all would have been better off," Theodora retorted with a sardonic grin as Glinda did her best not to giggle at the hang-dog look on Oscar's face.

"Maybe," Oscar conceded with a wry smile of his own. "Either way, we're just glad to have you back, Theodora," he added with a wink. He knew this was just the start. That all this really meant is that Theodora would have the opportunity to recover the life Evanora had essentially stolen from her. But it was a major step in the right direction. One that all of those involved in helping her to reach it were proud to take with her. Now all that remained was to see where the future would take them.

**Author's Note**: Sorry to those that wanted Theodora to stay green and become a bit more Elphaba-like but I just had to restore her fully. I might write an alternate scene somewhere down the line with a version where she becomes beautiful but keeps her green complexion but that will have to wait. Thanks for all the support up to this point. It nearly time for the second story arc. Just a few more chapters to round out this one.


	20. Chapter 19

Theodora bore the heartfelt congratulations of the assembled group for as long as she could before retreating to her rooms again to try to gather her thoughts. Oscar had insisted that they would all have a proper celebration that evening at supper time, which gave the former Wicked Witch of the West time to decompress. She found herself staring at herself in her mirror, silently agreeing with Glinda's assessment that her usual all-black garb did not go well with her non-green appearance. If anything the contrast made her look ghostly pale.

She looked to her wardrobe to rectify the situation, noting with a sense of amusement that the first thing hanging there was the white blouse, red coat, and black leather pants ensemble she wore the day she had met Oscar. She supposed it made sense, given that she had ripped apart the gown she had worn the second day when Evanora had given her the cursed apple and she was the one to put her traveling clothes away the night she returned with the Wizard, but it still seemed oddly fitting.

"I guess things really did come full circle like Glinda said," she noted to herself as he shed the last trappings of her life in exile and put on the clothes that had once been part of her favorite traveling outfit, if only because she had crafted the water repelling charms into each garment herself.

Once she was dressed again she looked at herself once more in a full length mirror. She noted with a small frown that had aged a bit physically in ways that Glinda had not. That wasn't all that surprising given the rather rough time she had over the last twenty years and the ridiculous amount of magic that had affected her on a metaphysical level twice now, but it was still disconcerting. Where once Theodora looked like she was barely in her twenties when compared to a regular mortal, she now had the first signs of crows feet around her eyes that would suggest she was a woman well into her thirties. She supposed it was a small price to pay for her freedom from Evanora's spell, but it was odd to see yet another new face in the mirror, if only slightly.

Of course if anything, she still looked a good decade younger than Oscar himself, which begged the question of why Glinda had never offered to freeze the Wizard's age for him? As descendants of Lurline, the Fairy Queen that transformed Oz into a magical land, the royal line were all capable of replicating the spell that was used to ensure mortal lovers and spouses would live a lifespan similar to their own. Then again, Theodora didn't think Glinda had mentioned that Dorothy should be able to channel the magic in the Silver Shoes to return to Kansas either. Teleportation had always been a strong suit of Theodora's and the natural attraction that drew a person home coupled with her magic in the shoes should have been enough to send the girl well out of Theodora's reach.

"Always planning things sister, whether you acknowledge it consciously or not," Theodora muttered to her reflection in the mirror. She understood that part of her was being unfair to Glinda. That Glinda always meant to do what was best for people where she could. But the simple fact was that Glinda and Evanora had always been far more similar than either would like to admit. Their methods and motivations might be different but they both had that driving ambition to see their will done in the end.

She did her best to put Glinda's actions and motivations out of her mind as she moved away from the mirror to study the room itself. She had thought that once she was cured she would feel more of a connection to the place that had been hers for all of the formative years of her life. In honesty, though, she still felt out of place here. It was a heady realization for her as she acknowledged that this just wasn't home. The Emerald City in general and the Palace in particular had never really been a home to her. It was just a place she had once lived in. No, home was Kiamo Ko. Home was the rocky crags and clear night skies of Winkie Country. It was the smell of campfires carrying on the wind from some of the roaming Winkie tribes that did not make up her personal troops. It was the Dark Forest and the various spots within it that the Winged monkeys used as their personal roosts. It was the people of Oogaboo in the northwest corner of the kingdom and the dangerous Marsh Lands with the Stick-in-the-mud people on their stilts. Home was Nikko, Chistery, and Treakle nearly being underfoot as they cared for her.

And yet, Theodora had to acknowledge that in a short amount of time she had grown attached to people within the Emerald City once more. Mostly Dorothy herself whose unshakeable faith in her ability to be good helped Theodora to reach this point and the Tin Man who had gone out of his way to become a sympathetic ear for her. No matter how much the child resembled Glinda on the surface, Theodora could no longer manage to generate the animosity toward her that she still felt toward her sister and she marveled at how someone so wronged by Evanora could rally to her own side so easily.

Thinking of Dorothy's resemblance to Glinda brought forth another realization. Theodora found herself still unwilling to forgive and forget the various things she had endured at the hands of Glinda and her friends for most of her life. She was grateful for her sister's help in breaking Evanora's curse, of course, but the thought of Glinda still raised Theodora's ire. Just a few days ago the woman had the nerve to scold Theodora like and errant child and then had the audacity to go tattling to the Wizard when Theodora had not complied with her demands while flying with Dorothy.

Then there was Oscar himself. The man that had betrayed her, or rather that Evanora had lied to her about his betrayal. (And Lurline, how that still hurt when she thought about it. How the pain and suffering of the last twenty years had just been Evanora lying to her to keep her under control.) He was also the man willing to die at her hand to give her peace if she wanted it. That risked everything to save her from herself. He made her furious. Just being near him confused Theodora to no end and her cure did not make her mixed emotions any easier to decipher. She also realized that she might have been placing a little much on him within a day after meeting him. What they had done with each other had been so perfect, so special, to her that she assumed he felt the same deep connection to her. That he had any concept of what he represented to her and the rest of the people of Oz. That he was meant to be her knight in shining armor.

Learning that Oscar Diggs was a very mortal man with very mortal failings had hurt as badly as the thought of him choosing Glinda over her had. She had built up an image of what a Wizard should be that nobody could live up to, not even Oscar, remarkable as he was. _You really made a fool of yourself back then,_ Theodora thought to herself with a sigh. She supposed she was too jaded now to think of romance as anything other than what might have been anyway. And honestly, what did she know about Oscar as a person then? She learned more about him in the last week and a half than she had over the last twenty years as his adversary. It was a sobering thought to consider.

Another was the fact that she wanted to know more. She wasn't about to throw her heart away on childish fantasies by any means, but as she looked deep within herself Theodora found she wanted to know Oscar Diggs the person. To know the man that adopted a little girl Evanora had orphaned and raised her as his own. She wanted to become his friend. To be worthy of the trust he had placed in her as he searched for her cure.

Her reverie was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes?" Theodora called at the sound as the door opened to reveal an elderly Quadling woman in a Palace maid uniform.

"Milady, his Excellence the Great and Powerful Oz has asked me to inform you that…" the maid began to recite until she trailed off at the sight of the transformed Theodora, her eyes wide.

"I take it supper is nearly ready?" Theodora asked when it became clear the woman was too stunned to go on.

The Quadling woman seemed to recover her wits as she stiffened a bit and said, "Yes, milady."

"Let the Wizard and the others know I'll be there shortly," Theodora informed the woman as she moved toward her dresser to see if any of the cosmetics she had once used were still anything approaching useable even with the preservation spells she placed on them. It had been twenty long years, after all.

The maid nodded and moved to leave the room when Theodor looked up and studied her face for a bit.

"Wait," Theodora said, making the woman pause. "I know you. Your face at least. I know I do," she said with a look of concentration.

"Yes," the Quadling agreed. "I was there that day you attacked Lady Glinda's castle," the old woman remarked.

Theodora's eyes widened in recognition as she finally placed the much older face and said, "You were the one that threatened me. You told me to leave before the Wizard made mush of me."

"Aye, that I was," the Quadling agreed with a stiff nod.

Theodora regarded the woman for a moment before smiling sadly as she remarked, "I believe I owe you a broom, too," and looked toward her still black flying broom. The broom she had called telekinetically from the hand of the woman before her as she used it to taunt the Wizard and Glinda.

The old woman gave her a critical gaze for a moment before she snorted and said, "I think you got more use from it than I would have after twenty years."

Theodora nodded in acknowledgement of that fact before her face grew pensive and she said, "I need to apologize to you. To all of you. The things I said and did that day, they were unforgivable."

"They were not entirely your doing, milady. All the staff here understands that. It was part of why the Wizard and Lady Glinda brought you here. To help bring you back from what the Wicked Witch did to you," the old woman responded.

"But you still don't like me, do you?" Theodora asked with hooded eyes.

"Your mind and soul were twisted by forces I could never understand. That did not change the fact that you threatened to rip out a good man's tongue, or that you intended to paint the yellow brick road with the blood of me and my kin," the Quadling woman noted with narrowed eyes. "You are still a Witch. Still dangerous. If you were turned once you could be turned again."

"You do realize that Glinda is a Witch too, don't you? My own sister, in fact?" Theodora challenged, even as her heart sank at the woman's words.

"I know. But the Lady Glinda was never corrupted. The Wicked Witch drove her away because she could not be led astray as you were. She will always protect us. Besides, I'm a Quadling, I will support the Lady Glinda and the Wizard no matter what they are" the old woman responded.

"Just as the Winkies and the Winged Monkeys will continue to support me as the Witch of the West, wicked or not," Theodora replied, her mouth gone dry at the implications of what this woman was saying.

"I imagine so, milady. That's their business, not mine," the old Quadling acknowledged. "Will that be all?" she asked after a moment.

"Yes. That's all. I'll join the Wizard and the others soon," Theodora said to dismiss the old woman from her midst. Once the Quadling had departed she scowled at herself in the mirror as she thought, _I should have known it wouldn't be so easy. They will never forget what I am. Maybe Evanora was right all along, no matter what I look like maybe deep down I really am Wicked_, she thought angrily.

* * *

The party was beginning in earnest when Theodora finally arrived, her expression pensive.

"Ah, there's the guest of honor at last," Oscar called out as everyone smiled in acknowledgement toward her.

In all honesty, most of the meal and following celebration, which was really not all that different than other meals the assembled group had shared beyond the topic of the breaking of the curse, was something of a blur to Theodora. She accepted another round of congratulations and encouragement that made her feel worse rather than better before settling in quietly with her meal. Once she was finished, she headed as fast as she could without seeming rude toward the nearest balcony to be alone with her thoughts.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Theodora? We finally break the Wicked Witch's curse and she looks like we just killed her puppy. What's going on?" Anna asked her father as the others milled about the room engaged in various conversations.

"Don't worry, Anna. I was kind of expecting this. Maybe not so soon, but it was still expected," Oscar replied with a resigned expression.

"What is it?" Anna asked, confused.

"Well, you have to understand that just because Theodora was under an awful curse doesn't change her memories. She's been seen as the enemy of all of Oz for twenty years. That isn't something you put behind you in a few days. Then you add that Evanora fairly forced her into that position for what was essentially nothing, and the fact her childhood here didn't seem to be quite as happy as Glinda's and well, I'd be more worried if she wasn't overwhelmed by everything," Oscar explained.

"But shouldn't she be happy to be herself again?" Anna asked with a sad look forward the balcony where Theodora stood alone.

"Where would she have had experience with that with only Evanora for company for the last twenty years? Worse yet, a bitter and defeated Evanora that had to leech off of Theodora's power to even function as the Witch of the East?" Oscar asked rhetorically.

"So what can we do?" Anna asked sadly.

Oscar smiled at the kindness his daughter was showing as he replied, "Be there for her. Lend a friendly ear. Remind her that she's not alone any more. That's all anyone can do for her now. Maybe if they had done it when her mother was first cast out Evanora wouldn't have managed to hurt her so badly the first time."

"I guess that makes sense," Anna agreed with a determined look in her eye. She would show Theodora that she wasn't alone, just like her father had suggested.

She was beaten to the proverbial punch, though, as Oscar straightened himself up and said, "And I guess now is a good a time as any. If you'll excuse me."

* * *

It demonstrated just how far Theodora was lost in her thoughts that she never heard Oscar's approach as he emerged onto the balcony with a glass of Gilliken champagne in each hand. "It's a nice night, but it would be nicer to share it, I think," he said before holding out the drink in his left for her to take.

Theodora took the proffered glass unconsciously and lifted it up to take a careful sip before wincing at the taste.

"Something wrong? You didn't burn yourself did you?" Oscar asked, suddenly concerned for her well being.

Theodora fought off the flush she felt at his concern for her well being as she shook her head and replied, "No. Wine and other fermented drink never trigger my allergy. I could bathe in alcohol or swim in it without any ill effect whatsoever. Well other than what would happen to anyone else in the same situation. This just isn't that good. The best wine grapes in Oz have always been grown in Winkie Country and the ones used for this weren't."

"Good. You had me worried. For a moment I felt as brainless as the Scarecrow claims to be for even offering the drink to you," Oscar responded with a relieved sigh. After a pause to enjoy the night air he asked, "So, what has you out here isolating yourself on the night you finally managed to get free of Evanora's curse?"

Theodora regarded him sorrowfully for a moment before turning out to look out over the balcony, one that faced the private courtyard where she had taken Dorothy flying, as she asked, "Am I really free of it at all?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Oscar asked in return, his brow knitted in confusion.

"Just because I look normal again doesn't mean the people will forget I spent two decades helping Evanora to terrorize them. And I don't think they'll be all that quick to forgive it either," Theodora replied with a sad shake of her head.

"Well, I think explaining things will go a long way toward helping the average Ozian to forgive at least, if not forget. You were just as much as victim of Evanora's machinations as anyone," Oscar replied earnestly.

"Perhaps. But I was also the one that was mobile and at full power to be the face of Evanora's plots during our exile. I was the one most Ozian children in the last generation were raised to fear lurking under their beds. I was the one their parents secretly dreaded encountering on a dark and foreboding night. I think you're giving them too much credit," Theodora countered.

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit," Oscar replied evenly. "Or have you forgotten that, unlike Evanora, the people you were ruling over all these years still respected you and thought of you as their rightful leader?"

"Which is another danger. Do you have any notion how easily Oz could slip into Civil War if the people refuse to accept my transformation?" Theodora warned as she looked back with a worried expression.

"The thought had crossed my mind. Especially when the people under you happen to make up the only true standing army in Oz," Oscar acknowledged. "The fact you and Evanora thought me invincible and untouchable was all that kept the peace for years Theodora. Having you back with us after the death of Evanora makes that peace more stable, not less."

"And if I told you that one of your personal Quadling servants, one well versed in who I am and what I went through, was just as willing to fight against me and go to war now as they were before I came back to the Emerald City?" Theodora challenged.

Oscar's expression went from shock to hardened anger as he replied, "I think I'd like to know which Quadling was harassing you less than a day after we restored you."

"You can't punish people for their opinions, Oscar. Especially not ones I threatened directly in the past. People do have a reason to fear me. I'm a prime example of what can happen to a Witch when she loses control. It's a scary proposition," Theodora replied with a sorrowful look.

"But that was Evanora's doing," Oscar insisted passionately.

"And it was still me that fell to her manipulations. Something Glinda didn't do. That's why Evanora had to force her from the city. I could be controlled. Glinda couldn't. The good people of Oz will see that and they'll be waiting to see me fall into darkness once more. If I've done it once I can do it again," Theodora explained.

"And if you've picked yourself up out of that darkness once you could do that again too. That's what people will come to understand. It takes more strength to resist temptation when you've been there before. It's easy to take the moral high ground when you've never been on the other side of it. And I should know. I wasn't exactly an upstanding character before I ended up being named the Wizard, you know?" Oscar reminded her.

Theodora chuckled ruefully at the response as she gave Oscar a somewhat strained smile and said, "Well you still have a way with words at any rate."

"I do my best," Oscar replied with a small grin of his own. He grew serious again as he added, "You realize you're not going to be alone in this, right? You have a whole room full of people that want to see you recovered and happy. They aren't going to just ignore you and let you fall back into darkness if they can help it. And that includes me, too."

Theodora gulped at the feelings his words evoked and fought back a tear before she moved in and hugged Oscar tightly. "Thank you," she mewled into his chest as she took comfort in both his sentiments and his physical presence.

"I've said before that you don't need to thank me, Theodora. Everyone here would do the same. In time, you'll be able to accept that. I know it," Oscar encouraged to the troubled woman as she clung to him.

From inside, Dorothy and Glinda both took note of the frantic hug from where they were standing talking with Anna. "What's going on Miss Glinda?" Dorothy asked, surprised at the sight of Miss Theodora seeking out human contact. She was generally not what one would consider the "touchy-feely" type.

Glinda smiled wistfully as she replied, "A beginning, child."

"A beginning for what, Glinda?" Anna asked.

"For _truly_ getting my sister back," Glinda replied as her smile widened just a bit.


	21. Chapter 20

Theodora wished she could claim that her first restful night of sleep came with the restoration of her "fair" form but it would have been a horrendous lie. She tossed and turned all night, waking several times to check her mirror and see if she had truly been cured or if she had dreamed the whole thing, or worse yet, if Glinda's spell had somehow worn off. And although she never saw so much as a flash of green beyond the marble and emeralds used in the construction of the Palace itself, she still fretted.

Part of her wanted to seek out comfort from someone, anyone, to reassure her but she refused to attempt it. After all, where could she turn for emotional comfort? To Dorothy with all of her twelve years of life experience growing up on a farm? To the Wizard? To _Glinda?_

No, she was grown woman and she would handle her inner turmoil on her own terms. She would learn to deal with this sudden change to her life. She had done it once when she was transformed the first time and she would do it again.

And if she felt the need to check the mirror for any sudden flashes of green for the eighth time that night, well that was nobody's business but her own.

Morning and breakfast alongside it were something of a blessing for Theodora's troubled mind as she joined the others. At least the idle conversation of the breakfast table would drown out the thoughts and worries that kept waking her the night before.

"Ah Theodroa, good morning," Oscar greeted with a congenial grin as he tended to do with anyone that knew his as anything other than just the Wizard. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," Theodora lied with her eyes looking down at the table as she seated herself.

Oscar and Glinda both noted her rather dour mood, and Glinda also noted the bags under her eyes, but chose not to comment on it.

"Well it's good you're here. We need to discuss how we want to play things. I mean I know we discussed it a bit last night, but we really need to plan out how to deal with things from here on out," Oscar noted seriously.

"What do you mean?" Theodora asked as she looked up into Oscar's face in confusion.

"Oscar means we need to know if you're ready to reveal yourself to the rest of Oz, Theodora," Glinda elaborated.

"Well, I mean, you would have to reveal my cure, wouldn't you? To reassure people that the Wicked Witch of the West is gone too? I'm sure the Munchkins will even make up a song for it like they did for Evanora," Theodora commented with knitted brows.

"But that's just it, Miss Theodora. Some of us were talking last night and well, most Ozians that didn't know you well before your transformation would never associate how you look now with the Wicked Witch of the West. Why, if you wanted to, I bet you could walk through the very heart of the Emerald City without anyone taking note of it," the Scarecrow suggested.

"Nobody is suggesting you hide yourself, Theodora. It's just, when the Scarecrow mentioned that last night I thought we should ask you about it. If you wanted you could take some private time, maybe a couple of weeks, to adjust to everything before we worry about crafting any kind of official announcement," the Wizard explained.

"What would I do in the Emerald City after all this time?" Theodora asked still bewildered at the nature of the conversation.

"Oh, Miss Theodora, maybe you could take me on that tour you suggested? We could visit the library or some of the museums. Maybe we could even go out of the City for an afternoon and fly again," Dorothy suggested with a note of excitement in her voice.

"I think someone might notice it if you were whisked away on a broom given that the only woman in Oz to ever use one to fly was Theodora," Glinda noted with a note of disapproval in her voice.

"But there would still have to be people in the City that would recognize me. I mean, they only saw Oscar's true face for a few hours but he still has to keep himself in here to hide himself away because he would instantly be recognized," Theodora protested.

"That's true enough, but I think you're underestimating how much people are willing to see what they want and expect to see rather than what's really there. It's like my old levitation illusion. I would make sure there were obvious wires that someone in the audience would always point out. And if there wasn't someone that astute or rude there I had an audience plant that worked for the carnival there ready to do it. Anyway, I would act like I had no idea they were there, say I had no need to rely on wires, and cut them with a sword my assistant would toss me. It dazzled the crowd, and at the same time it diverted their attention from the special platform harness I would use to create the illusion. They expected to see someone levitate, someone would present evidence it was a fraud, I would dispel it, and nobody would look any closer," Oscar said with a nostalgic smile.

"How is that anything like someone recognizing me?" Theodora challenged with a roll of her eyes. Then again, as someone that could really fly, the trick didn't sound all that impressive to her.

"It's not," Oscar conceded. "But the premise is. If you give people what they expect to see their own minds will fill in the blanks. If you went out in your black clothes with Dorothy dressed in her gingham dress and pigtails everyone would assume you were the Wicked Witch of the West and you were after Dorothy Gale even though you're not green. In fact, I would bet some would say you still looked green because it's what they expect to see. And the same risk might be there if you wore the types of clothes you wore before your transformation since people old enough to remember you might associate the clothes with Princess Theodora. But if you say… wore some of the latest Ozian fashions and Dorothy did the same while keeping her hair down instead of the in pigtails I would wager handsomely that nobody would recognize you. After all, people would just see a young woman and a younger lady walking with her. And seeing you on friendly terms with each other would be enough to help dispel any doubts well enough that nobody would look any closer than that."

"Oscar, do you really think it's that simple?" Glinda asked with a look of concern on her face.

"Glinda it's what's kept me in place as the Wizard. The people wanted to see an all powerful and nigh-omnipotent ruler that made everything in Oz work correctly. That image kept back Evanora's plots for twenty years because even she expected the image to be reality and refused to look deeper. The average person is really happier seeing what they want to see," Oscar countered.

Glinda had to nod in agreement with that. It was very close to the argument she used to convince Oscar to act as the Wizard for her in Quadling Country all those years ago.

"Well I don't know about taking weeks to do it, but I suppose I could take one short day to reacquaint myself with the Emerald City. It would be a pity not to show Dorothy some of the better sights," Theodora conceded with a shy smile.

Oscar smiled in response before his face grew pensive as he said, "Well there is one sight I'd prefer you avoid."

"What's that Uncle Oscar?" Dorothy asked as Theodora looked on puzzled.

"Oh my, I had forgotten about _that_," Glinda commented with a twittering laugh as her hand went to her mouth.

"I wish I could," Oscar muttered in disgust.

"What is it?" the Tin Man inquired as he wondered what could upset the Wizard so within the walls of the Emerald City.

"A show. A derivative, puerile, ridiculous show that makes munchkin songs look like high art by comparison," Oscar groused.

"What kind of show could leave you so upset?" Theodora asked with a small laugh of her own.

"It's called 'Wizomania.'" Glinda explained. "And it is quite bad. It's supposed to be based on the Wizard's Life and how he saved all of Oz."

"But it's really two and a half god-awful hours of people singing about how great I am without knowing so much as my name. I think they took all of ten minutes of it to mention you and Evanora leaving the City, and even in that they glossed over the fact the two of you still had control over more than a third of the nation as a whole with your respective kingdoms. I can do no wrong and everything is perfect. If I wasn't the Wizard myself and knew for a fact it wasn't connected to the Palace, I would swear it was created as some kind of horrible propaganda machine. I don't even want to know what went on in the minds of the people who wrote and produced it," Oscar elaborated with grimace.

"Now I _have_ to see it. You've given it such a ringing endorsement," Theodora teased with a bell like laugh.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Oscar cautioned with a shake of his head. "Especially when they insult you in the thing."

"Ten minutes of insults directed at me? You make that sound like something I've never encountered. Twenty years as Oz's worst nightmare, remember? I think I can handle it just to see what the fuss is about," Theodora shot back with a triumphant grin.

"Okay, fine. Whatever. It will be a big party," Oscar groused as she folded his arms angrily across his chest.

"I've heard that one before," Anna whispered to Finley with a laugh.

"At least nobody had to cry to get her way this time," Finley teased back with a wink.

* * *

"Okay, I'll admit it, that was awful," Theodora said as she and Dorothy exited the theater several hours later that evening. Both were wearing the rather elaborate outfits seen on most middle to upper class Ozians, although Glinda made sure to add some Gillikenese touches to make people less curious about why neither had been seen around previously. After all, Gilliken was still locked in a struggle between the Good Witch Locasta and the Wicked Witch Mombi. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility for Gilliken citizens to flee to the Emerald City to escape the strife in the North.

And true to Oz's predictions, not a single person so much as guessed at the identity of either Theodora or Dorothy for the whole of the day. In fact the most common comments they got were older women remarking on what a pretty and polite young daughter Theodora had in reference to Dorothy, something that left both of the blushing and stammering at the compliments. Theodora never really saw any of the features she shared with Glinda, taking much more after their respective mothers in appearance rather than their father as they both did, but there were similarities there if you looked. And when you couple those with the shared chestnut brown hair that Dorothy and Theodora both had… well it was an easy if erroneous conclusion to make.

Still, "Wizomania" had been the definite lowlight of the day as the pair and explored various places Theodora had enjoyed as a girl and was happy to share with the ever-curious Dorothy Gale. Theodora felt as if years were melting away as she shared what she knew of the city with the girl and had a truly carefree afternoon for the first time since… well since her father's death really.

"Oh part of me doesn't want to go back. This has been such a wonderful day," Dorothy commented as the pair started to make their way back toward the Palace proper.

"I know what you mean. I think this is the most fun I've had in as long as I can remember. No matter how bad that show was," Theodora agreed with a smile.

"I wish we could have brought Anna with us for it, though. She would have laughed so hard at some of it," Dorothy replied with a smile.

"I'm willing to bet she's seen it and managed to get her mileage out of teasing Oscar about it. She seems the type to keep her father in line," Theodora noted with a smirk.

"Yeah," Dorothy acknowledged wistfully.

"Dorothy, what is it?" Theodora asked as she took notice of the girl's changing mood.

"It's just; I think Momma would have been so happy to see all of this. I know from her stories that she missed seeing Uncle Oscar. She always said he had greatness in him if he would share it. And I know she missed him something fierce. She loved him. I don't know if it was boy-girl love or family love but I know she did. And even Poppa told me once that he missed having Uncle Oscar around because seeing him always made Momma happy. Then he said if Uncle Oscar did show up he'd box his ears for being a rapscallion and making everybody worry over him all these years," Dorothy confided.

"I'm sure Oscar would be honored to hear that," Theodora replied with a comforting hand on Dorothy's shoulder.

"This place seems almost like some kind of amazing dream. I know my family could never imagine somewhere like this even existing," Dorothy noted sadly.

"What's wrong?" Theodora asked, concerned as the child's mood seemed to get even worse.

"Do you think I'll ever get home to Auntie Em and Uncle Henry? Don't get me wrong, this place is wonderful. And I know Uncle Oscar and Anna are family even if they're family I had never met. I mean if I had the rest of my family there I don't think I'd ever want to leave, but it's just… I still miss home. I miss my family. Heck, I even miss feeding Bellina and the other chickens," Dorothy lamented with a shake of her head.

"Dorothy, I don't know when, but I promise you that you'll get back to your Land of Kansas and your family. Between the odd inventions of Oscar's that are like magic themselves whether he realizes it or not, and Glinda's and my skills with regular sorcery, I promise we'll find a way to get you back home," Theodora swore. She had a feeling it was time to talk to Glinda about why she hadn't done just that already, in fact. And if Glinda didn't want to bother, well Theodora had been interested in seeing the kingdom that had produced Oscar and Dorothy both anyway.

"Oh thank you, Miss Theodora. You are one of the nicest people I think I've ever met," Dorothy gushed as she hugged Theodora happily.

Theodora chuckled ruefully as she replied, "I think you're the first one to ever say something like that to me."

"I bet Chistery and Treackle would agree with me. And Finley too," Dorothy argued.

"They don't count. I still technically have control over them with the Golden Cap," Theodora explained with a fading smile.

She had forgotten about that fact in all the excitement. Was it still right to even be in possession of the Cap not that she was free? Did she need a flying army to augment her control over Winkie Country and its many inhabitants? No. No she didn't. Not now that the Winkies themselves had accepted her as their ruler. She would have to address that soon. It didn't seem right for her to keep the Winged Monkeys in bondage now that she herself was free of her own proverbial chains. But if she kept the Cap without using it the whole troop would stay at her side as the magic compelled them. And if she used her last command to free them it would leave the Cap open for someone else to exploit in the future as she once had. She couldn't do that to Nikko, Chistery, and the others. She would have to think of something to deal with the issue once and for all tonight or tomorrow. That was her only real option.

Dorothy cut off Theodora's musings as she replied, "I don't think that would matter, Miss Theodora. They're your friends. I can tell."

Theodora looked pensive even as she gave a strained smile and responded, "Maybe. Anyway, what do you say we pick up the pace so we can get back in time for dinner? I'm eager to see Oscar's reaction of we start humming bars from Wizomania at the table."

"Oh Miss Theodora, that's awful," Dorothy replied with a giggle.

"Well I guess I'll have to leave being nice to you and Glinda, then. I'm sort of out of practice on the concept," Theodora playfully replied.

And with that the pair headed back to the Palace both feeling lighter in heart then they had a few minutes earlier.


	22. Chapter 21

Supper had been a rather happy affair as Theodora and, surprisingly, Dorothy took turns humming tunes to Wizomania and watching Oscar twitch in response. Of course nether of them understood that it wasn't just the ridiculous adulation, which if he was being honest with himself Oscar thoroughly enjoyed, that made him hate the musical. Rather, it was the poor production quality. The trite songs and simplistic themes set his very teeth on edge. The performer in him could not help but cringe at something so poorly done.

Finally, Theodora had enough amusement and decided to comment, "If I knew it was this easy to get to you, I would have just funded an all Ozian tour of Wizomania years ago and been done with it, Oscar."

Glinda could not help but smile as she teased, "Funding a musical? Careful, Theodora, your Munchkin Country roots are showing."

Glinda's teasing, and her reminder of Melena, instantly soured Theodora's mood as she took a moment to scowl at the Good Witch of the South before she muttered a resentful, "I suppose," before returning her attention to her plate.

There was an awkward silence as Glinda realized she might have pushed too far too soon with her sister before the Scarecrow broke it by asking, "So what else did you do today, Dorothy?"

Dorothy's face lit with a smile that seemed to light up the room as she recounted the various libraries and museums they pair had visited, along with the café they had visited for lunch.

"That sounds like a fine day, Dorothy. So did anyone recognize you?" Oscar asked, knowing full well that the likelihood of someone recognizing Theodora right now was slim to none.

"Not at all, Uncle Oscar. You were right about how much changing our clothes and hair would help. In fact, people kept thinking I was Miss Theodora's daughter," Dorothy informed them with a smile.

"Really?" Glinda asked she took a moment to look between Theodora and Dorothy contemplatively. Their hair was certainly a similar shade of chestnut brown. And while Dorothy did greatly resemble Glinda her complexion was closer to Theodora's. And there were a few subtle features, such as the shape of their cheekbones of the curve of their ears that the two sisters both inherited from their father rather than the vastly differing features each had claimed from their respective mothers. Couple that with the similar attire and she could see where the assumption came from.

"Do you think the girl would make something like that up, Glinda?" Theodora snapped irritably.

"Of course not, Theodora. I just never took the time to notice the similarities between the two of you before. I can see where people would think you're related now that I take the time to look," Glinda calmly responded.

Theodora wanted to say more, to make a comment about how Glinda must not have cared to take note of their own _similarities_ as her sister either, but thought better of it. There was no sense in upsetting everyone at the table just to rehash arguments that had nothing to do with anyone but Theodora and Glinda personally.

"So, Theodora, I've been thinking about how we're going to debut your transformation once you feel like you're ready to do so," Oscar began as a way to change the subject and distract the two witches. It was obvious that just restoring Theodora to her old self was not going to smooth out the rough patches between the two women.

"Or really? And what have you decided?" Theodora asked with a curious glance toward Oscar. It was odd how so much of her animosity toward him seemed to lighten with her transformation while what she felt toward Glinda remained unchanged. Then again, Glinda had never offered her very life to Theodora to convince her to take a chance at being saved. Glinda, in Theodora's mind, just cleaned up after the fact. And it didn't help that Finley had all but admitted that Glinda had been against reaching out to Theodora from day one, either.

"Well I haven't _decided_ on anything yet. After all, this should be as much your decision as anyone's. It impacts your life directly. I was just crafting the public statement to the citizens of Oz. You know, explaining Evanora's deeds, the fact that we never gave up on the third royal princess and second Crown Princess of Oz-" Oscar began.

"Well _some_ of us didn't, anyway," Theodora interjected with a challenging look toward Glinda that made the older Witch look away in shame before she returned her attention to Oscar.

"Um, yeah. But anyway, it's a pretty standard proclamation to explain everything. Glinda would normally deliver it the same way she does the most important proclamations, then bring you out to show your restoration to the people and let you make a speech. Probably something about bringing unity back to Oz now that Munchkin Country is free and you are still the rightfully acknowledged ruler of Winkie Country. Maybe you could discuss something with reopening trade. I know discussing the return of Wikie Country wine grapes will go over well with the middle and upper classes," Oscar added.

"Seems fair enough. Lurline knows the people in Oogaboo and some of the other smaller territories in Winkie Country will be thrilled to reopen trade with the other provinces. Getting access to Munchkin textiles again will please the masses as well. Although you might need to appoint a regional Governor to run things now that there's isn't an acknowledged Witch to claim dominion over the East. Technically I could claim it since I'm pretty sure Evanora arranged things so I would inherit her titles and holdings if she died without an heir, but that would make everyone too nervous. I'd have too much control over too much territory in Oz," Theodora opined with a thoughtful look.

"Yeah, like it's so different from her manipulating you to create the same problem last month," Anna groused with a scowl. It had always bothered the Little China Girl just how fickle the people in the Emerald City could be. They were good hearted enough, but they were also very easy to mislead. It was how Evanora had seized control of the city in the first place.

Theodora shook her head sadly as she responded, "It's not the actual threat, it's the perception of it. Two rulers can argue and make different decisions. There's an illusion of weakness there. It didn't matter that I would never have even considered going against Evanora. The possibility that I could was enough to reassure the masses. And it didn't help that I was pretty much the face of Evanora's actions to most of Oz outside of Munchkin Country proper. She didn't like to show herself after Glinda revealed her true form. She was always vain like that."

"So what do we do about Evanora's holdings then?" Oscar asked with a contemplative look.

"I can always renounce them as part of the speech I'll make at the announcement. That will reassure the people and it can be used to legitimize the new Governor that you appoint. And I can donate her liquid assets back to the people of Munchkin Country to help redress her wrongs," Theodora suggested.

"It sounds feasible. It might be a bit plain, though. As crass as it sounds people in the Emerald City in particular are looking for a wow factor in everything. This will appease the merchants and the nobles but we need something to hold the attention of the average citizen. Give them a big enough pop and they'll accept the change a lot easier," Oscar replied. He was lost in deep contemplation for a few moments before his face lit up in realization.

"I know that look. What are you planning and how much will I hate it?" Glinda asked with a resigned sigh.

"I don't know what you mean?" Oscar responded with feigned innocence.

"Oscar," Glinda shot back with a Look.

"Well I was just remembering the last time we had to put something this big and important over with the people. Something that everyone would accept without question. Really it was when we cemented my position as the Wizard of Oz," Oscar recalled.

"That's true. But I don't think faking Theodora's death and 'resurrecting' her as a giant floating head will help," Glinda replied with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"No it wouldn't. But answer me this, what source would the good people of Oz accept above all others? What would they trust even beyond their own eyes?" Oscar asked with his eyes twinkling.

"Well, your word as the Wizard of course," Glinda replied as if it was obvious.

"Exactly. But sometimes seeing is believing. And seeing Theodora restored will only be half the battle because the people know enough about magic to know it could be an illusion. And even if you've been opposing each other for years there are still those old enough to remember that you are sisters. That leaves room for doubt even if you vouch for her personally. Doubt we can't afford if we want to bring the people in Winkie Country back fully into Ozian society without people distrusting them. But if say… I were to deliver the address personally? Well, Oz the Great and Powerful can never _**be**_ wrong in the eyes of the people. If they see me personally vouch for Theodora that will allay more fears than anything else," Oscar suggested with a mad glint in his eye.

"You want to go out in _public?_" Glinda demanded with wide eyes. "Have you lost your mind? You were the one that started this ruse in the first place. Going out among the people like that could ruin your whole reign. It could put you in direct danger for the first time in twenty years."

"From who?" Oscar countered with a playful smile. "It was always mostly to help keep Evanora and Theodora from catching on the fact I was vulnerable and scare them off. Evanora is gone and somehow I don't think I'm fooling Theodora anymore," he added with a cheeky wink at the Witch of the West that made her blush without realizing it.

"And how will you explain having a human body again after all this time?" Glinda asked, decidedly uncomfortable with the whole idea. Although how much of that had to do with Oscar being at real risk and how much the fact he was doing it for Theodora was something even she could not answer.

"I'm the all powerful Wizard of Oz, Glinda. Is it really hard for people to imagine that I could decide to take on a mortal shell again to better understand the their needs and to help and old friend recover her true self? Besides, if I need to find a way to take Dorothy home it would help in explaining where I went. The praxinoscope still needs me in it to operate it so it's not like my floating head machine could be used while I was gone," Oscar argued.

"Oscar, I appreciate this, really I do, but it's too much. Glinda's right. You can't risk yourself like this for me. Not after all I've done to Oz," Theodora protested. She understood that just because she was no longer a Wicked Witch did not mean all of Oz was peaceful. There was always someone out there looking to seize power. The struggles in Gilliken Country with Mombi were a prime example of that.

"Theodora, I appreciate your concern. Both of your concerns. But I have to admit to a selfish aspect to this as well. I've been hiding too long because of Evanora's threat of attack. This is a chance for a fresh chance for all of us. I can finally step openly out of the Palace from time to time. Maybe visit Anna in her home in Quadling Country, or visit you or Glinda in your Castles. I've put down serious roots for twenty years and that's a LOT of wander lust to build up for someone like me. Now I can try to deal with that and help someone that needs it in the process. I'd call that win-win," Oscar explained.

The expressions on the faces of both Witches softened as Theodora offered a shy and heartfelt, "Thank you."

Glinda nodded in acceptance as she added, "I suppose if you think that's best, I'll have to accept it." She did her best to put out of her mind that he never tried to go public with her despite their at one time rather passionate love affair. She would have loved the chance to stroll through the streets of the Emerald City with him or have supper with him somewhere other than a secluded area of the Palace. And now Theodora was prompting the very changes she had secretly desired for years. Changes she had not been able to inspire from him. Of course logically she knew this was a silly way to feel. After all, it's not like Oscar and Theodora were in anything approaching a romance. He was, like the rest of them, helping her to recover from the vast emotional damage that Evanora's treachery had left behind. But knowing that didn't make the notion of it sting any less.

"Do you really think you can get me home, Uncle Oscar? I mean I love it here, but I know everyone must be worried sick," Dorothy asked with naked hope in her eyes.

"If we can't find a good way using magic, I'll fill up the old hot air balloon and take you there myself, Dorothy. That's a promise," Oscar replied with conviction.

"That probably won't be needed, Oscar. Teleportation spells have always been a strong suit of mine. We should be able to find something to get Dorothy home safely," Theodora interjected. She had wanted to bring this up in private with Glinda later, but since it was out there she figured she might as well address it.

Glinda's eyes widened at Theodora's offer. It was rather ironic that it was the thought of Theodora following Dorothy home that kept Glinda from mentioning how she could use the Silver Shoes to do just that. "Indeed. In fact I would wager there is still more than enough of Theodora's power in the Silver Shoes to take Dorothy home if she tapped into it. All people feel an instinctual pull toward home that makes it the easiest place to get to magically. It's one of the reasons why the Emerald City in general and the Palace in particular was so heavily warded. We needed to be able to keep Evanora and Theodora from taking advantage of that link," Glinda supplied.

"Really? You mean I had the power to go home all along?" Dorothy asked with excitement. "Oh that makes me feel so much better."

Theodora chose to refrain from mentioning that she doubted she felt the emotional connection to the City to consider it home and teleport there instinctually. Kiamo Ko she could get to without even trying, but certainly not the Emerald City. Instead she looked to Dorothy as she said, "It shouldn't be a problem. Although it would be easier and safer with someone directing you on the trip, especially since you have no formal training in magic yourself, you could make it home with relative ease. Clicking your heels together a few times, picturing your farm, and saying something as simple as 'There's no place like home' repeatedly would probably be enough, It might burn out the magic left in the Shoes but it would get you there," Theodora added. "Honestly I'm surprised it never came up before."

"I was a bit worried you would follow her and wreak havoc in Kansas if we sent her on her way like that while you were still under Evanora's curse, sister. You were obsessed with the Shoes and it seemed likely you would try to pursue her. They have no witches or wizards there of their own from what I understand and would be mostly defenseless. I didn't want to take that chance," Glinda replied somewhat regretfully.

Theodora glared at Glinda but conceded her point. Her mind was so muddled following Evanora's death that she had fixated on the Shoes to a frightening degree. Part of that was likely the spell she was under and part of it was pain and grief that she had little ability to deal with given the way her heart had been altered. "I'm not sure how you thought I would follow her considering nobody else but Oscar had even heard of Kansas. It's not like I could risk teleporting randomly without someone to show me where to go through their mind's eye," Theodora grumbled.

"But you may have been able to call out to the fragments of your power that are used to power the Shoes. Like calls out to like in magic and that power is still a part of you even if it was intended for Evanora to use," Glinda countered primly.

"Well regardless, now we know we have a way to get you home, Dorothy. That's wonderful news," the Tin Man interjected with a joyful grin. He was happy the little girl that had so readily befriended him would be reunited with her loved ones.

"That does take a load off of my mind. Taking you by balloon would have been a shot in the dark since I have no idea how the twisters that brought us both to Oz got us here. And I don't know how I would find a tornado to try to get back home after. As nice as it would be to see Kansas again and some of the advances that have been made there, I can't picture living anywhere by the Land of Oz anymore," Oscar commented with a wistful grin.

Theodora filed that grin, and Oscar's desire to see his former home again, mentally for later. After all, she had been curious about the wondrous land that had created such forgiving and unique people like Dorothy and Oscar. Perhaps she could get back into the habit of doing good by fulfilling one of Oscar's wishes? She remembered how happy the people her father had granted wishes to were when she was little. This could be some small way to help repay all that she owed the Wizard for what he had done for her. And really, it would be best for Dorothy to have an experienced magic user there to smooth out any rough edges to the teleportation. No sense taking chances.

"So when will you try to go home, Dorothy?" the scarecrow asked, breaking Theodora out of her mental reverie.

"Oh, sometime after Miss Theodora's introduction back to Oz. I really want to see everyone celebrating the fact that she's free now," Dorothy replied after a moment to think over her answer.

"That's a very nice gesture on your part Dorothy. You've done so much to be there for my sister," Glinda replied with a grateful smile.

"Yes, I don't think we could have done all this without you, Dorothy. Thank you for all that you've done," Oscar replied with a fatherly grin.

"Oh but I didn't do anything," Dorothy protested.

"I think you did," Theodora replied with a kind grin of her own. "You made me think, and _feel_, for the first time in years. Even when I was so mad I couldn't see straight it lit a fire under me that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was that feeling, that flash of emotion, that helped me believe that there might be a way back to regaining my heart. I will always be eternally grateful to you for that."

"But all I did was tell you that you weren't wicked, Miss Theodora. And I knew that because Uncle Oscar said so, and because I could see it in your eyes," Dorothy replied modestly.

"I know, and that faith in me was the shock to the system I needed. You were the first person to believe in me for a very long time, my girl. That confused the heck out of me, but it counted for a lot," Theodora responded gratefully.

"Well it's like I always say, 'when you believe, you can accomplish anything.' I can't think of a better case of how belief can save a person," Oscar added proudly.

That comment set a much happier mood for the rest of the supper. Well, except for Glinda who did her best to hide her distress at Oscar's words and the sentiments behind them. They only served to remind her of how she had _failed_ to believe in Theodora. Of how much time she wasted believing her little sister was beyond hope. Of how long she had left Theodora there to suffer under Evanora's heinous manipulations. It was a sobering reminder for Glinda that she was neither perfect nor was she always right. And it had been Theodora that had paid the price for her folly for the last two decades. Still, what was past was past. All she could do now was to resolve herself to do right by her sister in the present and in the future and try to form a better relationship with the last of her family. Then, perhaps in time, they would become the true sisters in their hearts that they were in blood.

It would be a long and arduous trial, she knew. But for now, hope and belief the things would get better between her and Theodora in the future was all Glinda had. And it was time she put her faith in that belief. They both deserved that chance.


End file.
